The World Economic Forum 2026 Annual Meeting calls for strengthening dialogue and cooperation to promote inclusive growth (from an international perspective)
The World Economic Forum's 2026 Annual Meeting concluded on January 23 in Davos, Switzerland. Attendees generally believe that the world economy is at a critical juncture of transitioning between old and new driving forces, with artificial intelligence, green transformation, and digital economy accelerating their evolution and becoming the most promising growth engines in the future. The forum calls for dialogue to bridge differences and cooperation to stabilize expectations, jointly promoting inclusive global growth and injecting more stability and positive energy into the world economy.
Dialogue is a necessary condition for advancing the world
Currently, geopolitical risks continue to rise, impacting the global economic order and constraining economic development prospects. The "2026 Global Risks Report" released by the World Economic Forum shows that geo economic confrontation is the top global risk in 2026, followed closely by risks such as regional armed conflicts, extreme weather events, social polarization, and rampant false information, with the economic sector experiencing the most significant increase in risk. Geopolitics is the new geopolitics. In this new era, we need more dialogue, imagination, and entrepreneurial spirit to regain momentum, "said Mirek Dusek, Executive Director of the World Economic Forum
The latest Chief Economist Outlook report released by the World Economic Forum shows that 53% of surveyed chief economists believe that the global economy will still face multiple uncertainties in the coming year. The risks of asset revaluation fluctuations, debt accumulation, and the reshaping of geopolitical economic structures, as well as the risks derived from the application of artificial intelligence technology, are intertwined and will continue to constrain the stable operation of the world economy, "said IMF Chief Economist Georgieva during the closing discussion." The current multipolar world faces more challenges, but the ability of all parties to cope with risks is also increasing.
Engel Woods, Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford in the UK, said, "Consolidating consensus on building a shared future through equal dialogue and learning from each other's development experiences is the key to resolving international disputes and solving development problems." Sadia Zahidi, Executive Director of the World Economic Forum, said that countries should take on the common responsibility of shaping future development directions and promote pragmatic cooperation with a long-term perspective.
In his closing speech, the President of the World Economic Forum, Brendan, called for strengthening dialogue and cooperation, resolving conflicts and contradictions, and promoting inclusive growth. "Dialogue is the only way to stabilize market expectations, resolve differences and contradictions, and is a necessary condition for advancing the world. True dialogue is never easy, it requires patience, commitment, and creativity
The importance of global cooperation is becoming increasingly prominent
International institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have repeatedly warned that trade protectionism is one of the main threats facing global economic recovery. Many attending experts and scholars expressed strong concerns about protectionism and unilateralism, believing that trade protection policies will not only weaken global innovation vitality, but also exacerbate global development imbalances, with a more significant impact on developing countries. Erika Fox, a professor of engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University in the United States, said that global protectionism is more severe than at any time since World War II, and international cooperation is becoming increasingly difficult but urgent.
The Director General of the World Trade Organization, Evira, stated at the meeting that the global trade sector has suffered the most severe impact in 80 years, with weakened trade rules. "I do not agree with some unilateral trade actions. We need to make changes and diversify trade. We must enhance resilience at all levels to cope with future uncertainties
Nigerian Finance Minister and Minister of Economic Coordination, Vale Edun, told our reporter that the world is currently evolving from highly globalized to fragmented, the multilateral system continues to weaken, and the uncertainty of trade and technology rules is increasing, affecting long-term investment expectations. Investment is a key support for developing countries to achieve development. Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Jadan said that no country can face the problems facing the world alone, and more dialogue and cooperation need to be promoted to support institutions such as the World Economic Forum, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization, as they are needed to provide support to cope with the world's uncertainty.
The benign competition brought about by international trade is the core driving force behind global technological progress and productivity improvement. Trade protection policies essentially weaken this innovation mechanism, ultimately harming the overall interests of the global economy
Andre Hoffman, Acting Co Chairman of the Board of Directors of the World Economic Forum, said, "In the current situation, the importance of global cooperation is becoming increasingly prominent, and a fragmented development model will only further amplify various risks
Make new technologies better serve the common interests of all mankind
The World Economic Forum pointed out in its report "The Future Prospects of the New Economy: Geoeconomics and Technology in 2030" that technological progress and geoeconomic patterns are the two core forces shaping the global economy in 2030. The degree of geopolitical stability and the speed and scope of technological applications will jointly determine the future development direction of the global economy. However, new technological progress also brings new risks and challenges, which require the international community to strengthen collaborative governance and response. The Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026 report shows that artificial intelligence, geopolitical fragmentation, and the surge in online fraud are all redefining the global network risk landscape at an unprecedented pace.
Philippe Agion, the Nobel laureate in economics in 2025 and French economist, stated at the conference that long-term global prosperity not only relies on technological progress, but also requires the coordinated efforts of technological innovation and institutional improvement. By guiding public investment and supporting cutting-edge technology research and development through strategic planning, while maintaining a fair competitive market environment, investment expectations can be stabilized and economic vitality can be stimulated. European Central Bank President Lagarde stated that taking artificial intelligence as an example, it is a capital intensive, data intensive, and energy intensive industry that requires strengthened cooperation among all parties to tap into its development potential. At the same time, coordination and joint supervision are also needed to address technological risks.
Many attendees expressed that in the wave of new technological revolution, the lack of effective coordination among all parties may further widen the global development gap. While promoting technological innovation, the international community needs to balance efficiency and fairness, ensuring that all countries enjoy equal opportunities for development. Luis Monteiro, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Unico, a global technology company in Brazil, told our reporter that new technologies such as generative artificial intelligence are constantly improving, providing new tools for high-quality economic and social development, but also increasing risks such as fraud and deepfakes. "The international community needs to gather consensus on cooperation, jointly build a safe, orderly, and inclusive digital space, and formulate unified technology governance rules through multilateral consultations, so that new technologies can better serve the common interests of all mankind
Professor Bengio from the University of Montreal in Canada believes that the international community needs to build a more systematic global technology governance system, "by formulating international treaties, improving cross-border coordination mechanisms, and other means, to prevent the abuse of new technologies and avoid a single entity monopolizing the global technology rule making power." Attendees call for the construction of a universal and inclusive global technology governance pattern, providing guarantees for the healthy development of new technologies, and enabling technological progress to truly promote global common prosperity.