Martin Wolf

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Security is closely related to the Alpine event

Some of The World 's top business people and politicians - plus a smattering of celebrities - Will meet in Davos, Switzerland for The World Economic Forum (WEF) This Week .

U.S. President Donald Trump , teen climate activist Greta Thunberg and Uber-boss Dara Khosrowshahi are among The Guests .

But what is the jet set event and it is elitist?

What is The World Economic Forum?

Launched in 1971, the WEF aims to "improve The State of The World ".

Held every Year in the Alpine Ski resorts of Davos, the conference Will bring together executives from companies in the same space as the actors of politics, charity, and science.

Tony Blair and U2 singer Bono speaks at the WEF in 2005

Many use the opportunity to have private meetings on things such as investments in their countries, and as an opportunity to do business with.

High-profile figures who often use it to influence the Global Agenda . In the past Year on Mental Health , or.

Who attends Davos?

the WEF usually attracts around 3000 people, about a third of them from the economy. To go, you need to be invited - in which case, The Event is Free of charge, or in the case of a member of the WEF, which Cost £480,000.

The Heads of government of The World , the key figures from the UN and the EU and The Heads of large companies such as Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs and IBM to participate.

Regular guests of billion-dollar financier George Soros , former British Prime Minister Tony Blair , Facebook are CEO Mark Zuckerberg and U2 singer Bono.

However, shows new data from The World Economic Forum, That only 239 people from the United Kingdom Will participate in this Year - the lowest in the UK since 2010 - After Boris Johnson banned Ministers from attending The Event .

Does Davos have critics? There were protests against the WEF-if U.S. President George W. Bush visited in 2007,

The Event not only attract, power-player.

Last Year , Dutch popular historian Rutger Bregman used a panel-slam-delegates.

Often you Will see protests in Davos and the Swiss big cities.

the Ukrainian Activists, Femen, And in 2012 the Occupy Wall Street Movement and the campaigns against Inequality igloos Built to house 50 protesters.

Davos is elitist?

Until the financial crisis of 2007-08, the participation in Davos was considered a must-have for the great and the good.

But critics have suggested, it is a symbol of the "global elite", some of which the blame for the crisis.

Last Year , Time magazine editor-at-large, Anand Giridharadas , described the Davos meeting as a "family" for the people who broke the modern world".

Even among the participants, not everyone has the same access rights. Colored badges to determine who shoulders to RUB and with whom.

The Most high-profile guests to get a White Badge with a hologram, giving them access to everywhere. At The Other end of the scale, a "hotel" insignia means That you can not centre in the Congress at All .

For most of the Year , Davos is a ski resort

It is also male dominated, with the term "Davos Man" is a nickname for the kind of rich, elite male, as a rule. In the last Year 22% of All the Davos participants were women, 17% by the Year 2015.

the conference of The exclusive location, the private helicopters flying in and out of and the number of celebrations add can claims The Event is exclusive.

But the WEF, it is argued, simply interested in bringing leaders together for the greater good.

And Martin Wolf in the Financial Times' chief economics commentator, says: "elites are always a little out of Touch - That is their Nature , But it is impossible, in a world without you. It is also important That these people meet regularly and find out what everyone else thinks. "

What has been achieved Davos?

Many companies use The Event to improve important commitments on issues such as sustainability or diversity.

The conference also has some real successes scored.

In 1988, meeting between Prime Minister Turgut Özal of Turkey and Andreas Papandreou in Greece has brought the relations between the countries back from The Brink of war.

And in the Year 2000, the global Alliance for vaccines and immunization (GAVI) used for the start of programmes to immunise millions of children against diseases.

What are The Most important moments we can expect this Year ?

Donald Trump could. the main attraction, with skipped The Event last Year He is procedures by a speech on Tuesday, The Day his impeachment.

Meanwhile, Greta Thunberg is due to deliver another combative characters against Climate Change - After trekking their way up in the Alps, to Davos, rather than by Public Transport .

Greta Thunberg to visit again this Year

Other big names Sanna Marin , Prime Minister of Finland, the 34 The World 's youngest serving Prime Minister .

And Bollywood star Deepika Padukone is in the city talking about their struggle with Depression .

george soros, switzerland, global economy, donald trump, davos, tony blair, economic inequality, climate change, sexism

Source of news: bbc.com