(Photo: agenda.weforum.org)

The World Economic Forum 2015 will welcome a record 2,500 delegates, including state leaders and businesspeople from 140 countries. World leaders scheduled to attend the forum include German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, French President Francois Hollande, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, South African President Jacob Zuma, and US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Influenced by global challenges

The forum convenes against a disturbing global backdrop that includes the worst relations between Russia and the West since World War II, the Ebola epidemic raging in West Africa, the global oil price downturn, and the production and threat to use nuclear weapons in several countries.

The forum has identified the top global risks to be discussed: natural resources shortage, work skills and human resources, gender equality, long-term investment, infrastructure and development, food security and agriculture, trade and international investment, and the future of the financial system. The agenda will also cover geopolitical crises, pandemics and health, and the new energy context.

Forum Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab said the forum serves the international community as a platform for public-private partnership to address common challenges. He expressed his hope that the annual meeting will serve as the starting point for a renaissance of global trust.

The Forum Chief Economist Jennifer Blanke expected global security to top the agenda. He underlined the interaction between economic and geopolitical systems, following a series of geopolitical crises which has destroyed trust and affected economic cooperation. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said the global economy is facing great challenges despite positive signs from the US economy and the oil price reduction. A solid recovery will require appropriate actions by law makers around the world.

Rare opportunities for global economic growth

It seems that economic issues will be of minor concern at this year’s World Economic Forum. Permanent economic problems such as unemployment and financial conflicts will be placed behind other social and environmental issues. Given the broad agenda, experts say they don’t expect specific and important measures from the forum. Klaus Schwab said the meeting will create a common awareness among countries on a renaissance of trust, especially in conflicted areas, to resolve global economic issues.