WEF stresses 'divides'

DAVOS (SWITZERLAND), JAN. 26. Participants at the 31st World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meetings were formally welcomed on Thursday evening in Davos for six days of debates about global economic, political and environmental issues and a brewing anti- globalisation backlash.

The Swiss Confederation President, Mr. Moritz Leuenberger and the WEF President, Mr. Klaus Schwab, greeted visitors in the run-up to the formal opening of the proceedings titled ``sustaining growth and bridging the divides: a framework for our global future''.

Some 3,000 top-level representatives from politics, business and finance, international bodies, and non-governmental organisations are estimated to be in attendance at this year's meetings. Mr. Leuenberger, while praising a world in which ``ever more boundaries are falling'', admonished the participants to keep in mind that there remained deep divides.

``Globalisation produces shining winners who revel in the spotlight and despairing losers who fight for mere survival and are forced to migrate,'' he said. ``The risks of globalisation lie in the deepening of these divides, the opportunities lie in our being able to overcome these divides.''

Tight security precautions were in effect both at the Davos Congress Centre as well as in the Alpine ski resort town's main streets.

- DPA

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Terrorists a growing threat to Yemen
Next     : Sinha calls for equal opportunity, fair play