This week, from January 19 to 24, nearly 3,000 business leaders and politicians will gather in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum. Many of America’s most senior officials will attend the meeting, including President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The meeting offers America the chance to further solidify itself as the global superpower on issues ranging from the tariffs Trump has imposed to American influence in other parts of the world. Also there will be global leaders from around the world, such as the experienced French President Emmanuel Macron to President Ahmad al-Sharaa of Syria, who gained power of the country just one year ago. Additionally, business leaders will be attending, such as Jensen Huang, the CEO of the world’s most valuable company, Nvidia.

So what will happen in Davos? The conference acts as a crucial place for dialogue on world affairs and technology, but does not create legislation or pass international laws. In fact, some call it a soft power hub, a form of influence through dialogue. Influenced by a right wing shift in the west, this year’s conference will not focus as much on climate change, but instead focus on the nearly formed Trump’s Board of Peace, which will assist in the reconstruction of Gaza, U.S.–China trade relations, and AI development and regulation. The forum functions as a unique example of bringing the world’s most elite figures from both public service and private industry together to foster dialogue on their world view.

When the conference concludes, it is often unclear what will have been accomplished. Although this is a common critique of the conference, talk is needed before there can be large accomplishments. Some cite Davos as instrumental to the 2015 Paris Climate Accords or to private and large companies getting together to encourage African growth like Mastercard and Microsoft. Today there is hope that the forum will encourage a bolder and more united stance toward global AI regulation and a stronger shared understanding of trade in terms of tariffs. In an era when leaders from East and West, democracies and dictatorships, and the public and private sectors rarely convene for sustained collaboration, the 2026 World Economic Forum presents a rare opportunity to work collectively toward improving our shared planet.

Sources:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/live-blog/live-updates-trump-davos-greenland-europe-canada-air-force-one-rcna254575

https://finance.yahoo.com/video/ai-create-jobs-nvidia-ceo-112051212.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJwc0ckmdZtxZsEZsxZKbgt55YlkwAQdfA-ehTymxSr4sYurDi7628wN1hYJk4oP5vH-g6QQNC-AsMNOX4KWqcq62TFkicdMR42Aphgmsq1KaGymwy5On_eM7wZwXbgncRbJ6JOUhfE6uUdxqiCaY2c3spNymS4bqiB_9B3pC6uQ

https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/22/world/trump-board-of-peace-explainer-intl-hnk

https://apnews.com/article/switzerland-davos-wef-meeting-1feace8e9520b84f42270bc65f78c8f4

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2015/01/davos-2015-climate-change-development-and-growth/