New Delhi: Leaders from around the world discussed pressing global issues, including artificial intelligence (AI), reforms, and climate action during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The five-day annual meetings ends today (January 24).
UN secretary-general António Guterres warned about the escalating global threats of unchecked AI expansion and the climate crisis. He stressed the need for international collaboration and responsible AI governance.
Guterres compared fossil fuel addiction to Frankenstein’s monster, saying it “spares nothing and no one.” Further, he underlined that 13 major oil ports will be threatened by rising sea levels, a consequence of burning fossil fuels. The secretary-general criticised financial institutions and industries for backtracking on climate commitments, calling it “short-sighted, selfish, and self-defeating.”
Similarly, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez emphasised the need for social media governance reform across the European Union to combat misinformation and cyber harassment. He advocated for stronger enforcement of the Digital Services Act and expanded powers for the European Centre for Algorithmic Transparency.
“We know that far from bringing humanity together and ’empowering the people’, these platforms have resulted in a concentration of power and wealth in the hands of just a few,” Sanchez said. “Like the ocean, they should be protected and managed.”
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The summit, themed “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age,” brought together nearly 3,000 attendees from over 130 countries. This gathering included more than 50 heads of state and government, as well as hundreds of other high-ranking governmental leaders, according to WEF.
Environmental and economic initiatives
In a significant announcement, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo revealed plans to create the world’s largest tropical forest reserve. The Kivu to Kinshasa Green Corridor Reserve will protect over 550,000 sq km of forest throughout the Congo River Basin, promoting economic development and transforming natural landscapes.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed optimism about the ASEAN Union’s future and Malaysia’s role in it. He highlighted the importance of dialogue over conflict and encouraged collaboration to ensure all countries benefit from AI’s potential.
“We must collaborate so that all countries and people benefit from AI’s promise and potential to support development and social and economic progress for all,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
According to Ibrahim, although the United States remains Malaysia’s largest single investor, the country’s ties with China are strengthening, with increasing investment and trade between the two nations.
Regional developments and conflict resolution
Palestinian Authority foreign affairs minister Varsen Aghabekian expressed cautious optimism following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. She hoped the ceasefire would bring a more sustainable solution in the future and underscored the need for immediate relief efforts and long-term planning to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Syrian foreign minister Asaad Hasan AlShaibani outlined the new government’s plans, promising to respect women’s rights and reject sectarian division. He urged the removal of remaining sanctions, assuring the world that Syria would no longer be a source of threats.
Iran calls for reconsideration of nuclear deal
Iranian Vice-President for Strategic Affairs Javad Zarif expressed hope that a second Donald Trump presidency would reconsider the withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and take a more realistic approach to the agreement’s costs. Zarif emphasised that the withdrawal has failed to dissuade Iran and has imposed heavy economic costs on the Iranian people.
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The JCPOA, also known as the Iran nuclear deal, was an agreement signed in July 2015 between Iran and a group of world powers, including the US. The deal stipulated that Iran would significantly scale back its nuclear programme and allow for increased international monitoring in exchange for relief from crippling economic sanctions. However, the agreement’s fate has been uncertain since 2018, when Trump (during his first term) unilaterally withdrew the US from the pact.
“In terms of being able to dissuade Iran, (the withdrawal from JCPOA) has failed. It has imposed heavy economic costs on the Iranian people. Of course, the Iranian government is suffering, but the Iranian people and the most vulnerable groups in Iran are suffering the most,” Zarif was quoted as saying by PTI.
