Four days to change the world
'The New Global Context' is the motto of the 45th World Economic Forum, being held in Davos from January 21 to 24. Among the 2,500 participants meeting in the Swiss Alps are more than 40 heads of state and government.
La crème de la crème
During the annual Word Economic Forum (WEF), tiny Davos boasts the world's highest concentration of powerful, rich and influential people. They debate a wide range of global issues in order to "improve the state of the world," as the Forum's mission states. Massive media coverage is guaranteed.
A matter of trust
Klaus Schwab, the 76-year-old WEF founder and president, sees the Forum as a "platform for public-private cooperation." With the world facing numerous crises, conflicts and economic problems, he says this cooperation is "more vital than ever before." He hopes the WEF might "serve as a starting point for a renaissance of global trust."
Plenty to talk about
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is just one of the world leaders in attendance. The CEOs of big banks and multinational companies are also present. On the agenda: Global issues ranging from terrorism to climate change to world trade and finance. Everything, really.
Terror and conflict
Talks about terrorism have gained new urgency following the attacks in France. The Islamic State terror group, the Syrian civil war and instability elsewhere in the Arab world are all major worries. Leaders will also discuss the crisis in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is attending; Russian President Vladimir Putin isn't.
Not just hot air
The UN climate summit in Paris (pictured during smog) in late 2015 aims to achieve the first global agreement on climate protection in more than 20 years. Former US Vice President Al Gore and Christiana Figueres, General Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, are among those discussing the chances of such an agreement in Davos.
Ebola and diabetes
The Ebola outbreak in Western Africa has underlined the importance of combating the spread of viruses. Even more deadly are non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, which ended around five million lives world-wide last year. The presidents of Guinea and Mali, the head of the World Health Organization and numerous experts will discuss how these threats can best be addressed.
Making the world go round
When will the Federal Reserve tighten its monetary policy, when will the European Central Bank start to buy sovereign bonds? And what's the future of the eurozone if Syriza, a radical left-wing party, wins the snap parliamentary elections in Greece this month? Many top central bankers, policy wonks, and the head of the International Monetary Fund will be comparing notes in Davos.
Black gold loses its shine
The falling oil price spells trouble for many oil-producing countries, and reduces the profitability of fracking. But for many, the low oil price is a boon. Carmakers are posting record sales. Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, is attending the Forum. So are the bosses of big oil and energy companies - and the secretary general of OPEC.
Tech giants chat offline
Chinese entrepreneur Jack Ma's company, online shopping platform Alibaba, took Wall Street by storm last year when it had the biggest stock market debut in history. In Davos, Ma will discuss how technologies can change and shape our future with decision-makers from Microsoft, Yahoo, Google and Facebook.
All in the same boat
WEF organisers don't like the image of Davos as an elite talking shop and annual meeting of the rich. Issues such as income inequality and the growing number of migrants (pictured: Africans in a boat off the Italian coast) are also addressed. The presidents of the World Bank and the World Trade Organization, and Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, will be joining the discussion.
Wheeling and dealing
Davos is not the place for political agreements. But business deals are sure to be made behind closed doors. "Three days of Davos save me months of traveling," says one investment banker.