Spreading spirit of dialogue

Thousands of the world’s most prominent figures in fields of business, economics, and politics are gathering on Davos, a small town in the Swiss Alps, to discuss a wide range of global pressing issues.

The World Economic Forum 2026 will take place in Davos, Switzerland. (Photo: Xinhua)

The theme “The Spirit of Dialogue” of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 underscores that dialogue has become an urgent necessity in the context when the world is facing numerous challenges, particularly the increasing trend of confrontation in international relations.

This year’s Davos forum has attracted around 400 top political leaders, including nearly 65 heads of state and government, nearly 850 leading world CEOs and chairpersons, and close to 100 start-ups and pioneers in the technology sector. This represents a record number of political leaders participating in the event.

From a gathering of business leaders in 1971, the WEF has become a rare global dialogue platform where major powers, regions, and experts from different fields can engage directly. Although it is often known as a dialogue among elites, this year’s Davos Forum has truly become a necessary space for political leaders, business communities, and the technology sector to meet face to face in search of solutions to a wide range of critical issues, amid significant volatility in the global geopolitical situation.

The WEF agenda revolves around five pillars: the geopolitical environment, artificial intelligence, climate and nature, new sources of economic growth, and people. The presence of global CEOs from the fields of technology, finance, energy, and consumer goods highlights the importance of these sectors in today’s world.

However, alongside important themes such as technology and artificial intelligence, tariffs and regional security are also among the “hot” issues drawing attention. The presence of US President Donald Trump in Davos, together with leaders of the G7, has attracted particular interest, as rifts between the US and its Western allies are deepening due to Washington’s recent controversial foreign policies.

In the context of the world experiencing profound upheavals across multiple areas, most recently reflected in mutual threats of retaliation through “trade weapons” between the US and Europe following Washington’s announcement of import tariffs on certain European countries over disagreements related to Greenland, the WEF’s “spirit of dialogue” needs to be promoted more than ever, while also facing major challenges.

The WEF report “Global Cooperation Barometer 2026” also notes that although global cooperation is showing resilience despite difficulties caused by multilateralism, it remains insufficient to address major economic, security, and environmental challenges.

While the world is witnessing political flashpoints, escalating conflicts, intense power competition among major powers, the resurgence of protectionism and populism, and a serious decline in confidence in the multilateral order and globalisation, the spirit of dialogue, as the WEF theme in 2026, is very essential and in need of wider dissemination.

NDO