It initially focused on the needs of European business leaders, but it now has a truly global outreach, encompassing both the private and public sectors in more than 140 countries. The Forum has encouraged pursuit of appropriate economic, fiscal, trade and social policies by bringing together major corporate and political leaders, NGOs, multilateral financial institutions and social observers.
The Forum’s annual meeting, that takes place in Davos (Switzerland) is, of course, the most well-known and well attended gathering; the regional meetings also have increasingly high profiles. Furthermore, the Forum facilitates policy discussions through a wide-ranging research programme that includes reports and surveys covering a variety of topical issues such as economic growth, environment, finance, technology, health and social development.