Annual Meeting 2011 Executive Summary

World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2011
Executive Summary
Davos-Klosters, Switzerland 26-30 January
Shared Norms for the New Reality
Purpose
Improving the state of the world requires all stakeholders to collaborate in a proactive, integrated and systematic
manner to address global challenges. For this purpose, and for over four decades, the World Economic Forum
Annual Meeting has provided an unrivalled platform for leaders from all walks of life to shape the global agenda and
catalyse solutions at the start of each year – generating insight on what has changed fundamentally and anticipating
the risks and opportunities that lie ahead.
The Annual Meeting 2011 will convene under the theme Shared Norms for the New Reality. This theme reflects the
foremost concern of many leaders today – namely, living in a world that is becoming increasingly complex and
interconnected and, at the same time, experiencing an erosion of common values and principles that undermines
public trust in leadership as well as future economic growth and political stability.
The theme for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2011 is founded on four interconnected pillars:
1. Responding to the New Reality

2. The Economic Outlook and Defining Policies for Inclusive Growth
3. Supporting the G20 Agenda
4. Building a Global Risk Response Mechanism
Key to navigating the new reality will be the shared norms that not only transcend differences across generations,
stakeholder groups and geographies in a multi-polar world, but also enable inclusive growth. These norms must be
truly shared and integrated into a holistic, interdisciplinary and multidimensional framework. For governments as well
as multinational corporations, shared norms provide the compass by which leaders give and receive direction, define
benchmarks for acceptable and unacceptable behaviours, and ensure inclusive rather than exclusive outcomes.
Thematic Clusters of the Programme
1. Responding to the New Reality

The “new reality” is a world with manifold power centres, characterized by a high degree of volatility and the
entrance (and exit) of players in the global race for competitiveness; changing social behaviours of the millennial
generation; a worldwide scarcity in commodities and natural resources; reshaped roles of governments; and new
social and environmental demands on business. At the Annual Meeting 2011, participants will gain clear insight
into these issues and have a collaborative opportunity to shape aspects of this new reality.
The need to identify and anticipate normative changes as the global power balance shifts, economic
interdependencies deepen, business models mature and disruptive technologies emerge places enormous
pressure on the executive leadership and governance bodies of any major institution.
2. The Economic Outlook and Defining Policies for Inclusive Growth
A collapse of the global financial and economic system was avoided after having emerged from the hot zone of
the crisis. However, a tremendous amount of uncertainty remains as we continue to pay the price for the irrational
and irresponsible behaviours that existed long before the crisis. Today, the economic outlook is best characterized
by a range of dilemmas and scenarios: Is deflation or inflation the clear and present danger? Can parts of the
world avoid a double-dip recession or a jobless recovery? What will be the impact of new mercantilist measures
on the global trading system and renewed growth? What if current economic imbalances persist? With “trillions”
replacing “billions” when discussing the fate of the global economy, there is rising unease that growth will be more
exclusive than inclusive for future generations.
3. Supporting the G20 Agenda

The future impact of the G20 will depend on its ability to safeguard the recovery and build the foundation for
sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth, and for making financial systems more risk resilient. The G20 is the
most promising institution to define a new governance and multinational leadership model post crisis, despite its
well-known challenges regarding its legitimacy and mandate. Overcoming these issues, and showing the world
that shared norms will be enforced among its members, is a critical step towards building a more stable and
predictable world. The Annual Meeting 2011 will catalyse discussions in this context.
Success in these areas will also require significant engagement from economies outside the G20 and from
industries critical to job creation and market stability. The G20 agenda must also address the need for greater
interdependence between business and government. Significant work must be done to rebuild a true partnership
between governments and business. This is critical for enabling business to remain innovative, enterprising and
job creating, and similarly, to ensure that governments do not become too overwhelmed by internal issues and
constraints to the detriment of exercising global leadership. To that end, the Annual Meeting 2011 serves a critical
role not only as the foremost multistakeholder platform for supporting issues on the G20 agenda, but also as a
platform that results in greater global public awareness of key issues.
4. Building a Global Risk Response Mechanism

In a global world, systemic and natural risks cannot be avoided, but we can do much better in terms of building
both global and institutional capabilities around risk resilience, inclusive of risk awareness, preparedness,
mitigation and response. More than ever, deeper and shared insight is needed if we are to effectively respond to
global challenges. Understanding systemic weaknesses across a range of key issues can contribute to reversing
the widening chasm between emerging risks and our collective ability to understand and respond in the global
public interest.
There is today no network, no global system and no global mechanism in place that can distil the best expertise
and experience to serve as a basis for all stakeholders to make timely and informed decisions. It is against this
backdrop that, at the Annual Meeting 2011, the World Economic Forum will inaugurate a “Global Situation Space”
as a unique mechanism to understand and respond to a range of global risks in a more collaborative, integrated
and proactive way. This space will help public and private sector leaders improve their ability to understand and
manage complex, interrelated risks that are increasingly global in scope and unpredictable in effect.
The World’s Foremost Multistakeholder Community
Participation in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting is by invitation only and limited to:
• The world’s leading chief executives of leading global businesses, representing the Forum’s 1,000 Member
companies
• Politicians from the G20 and other key countries – including over 30 heads of state and government
• The heads of all major international organizations
• The chairs of the 72 Global Agenda Councils, representing a network of over 1,200 experts
• Representatives from civil society stakeholder groups
• Media leaders representing the top news organizations from around the world
• Young Global Leaders
• Social Entrepreneurs
• Technology Pioneers
• Spiritual and cultural leaders
The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2011 will provide each participant with strategic insights from each of
the four thematic clusters, with the “Global Situation Space” among its defining legacies. Particular emphasis will be
placed on addressing the question of “how”, thus in the true “Davos Spirit” elaborating innovative ideas and solutions
to global challenges in a multistakeholder environment.

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World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2011

Shared Norms for the New Reality

1. Responding to the New Reality

Thematic Clusters of the Programme

1. Responding to the New Reality

3. Supporting the G20 Agenda

4. Building a Global Risk Response Mechanism

The World’s Foremost Multistakeholder Community

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