CA wraps up 4-day packed Switzerland trip, joins about 50 engagements in Davos

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has joined at least 47 events during the World Economic Forum annual meeting and other high-level side events in the Swiss city of Davos.

"The chief adviser passed very busy days during the WEF while he joined meetings with a number of heads of government and states and dignitaries on the sidelines," Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told BSS.

He joined meetings with four heads of government or state, four minister level dignitaries, 10 heads or top executives of UN/similar organisation, 10 CEOs/high-level business persons, 9 WEF organised programmes (Formal Dinner plus Lunch-04), 8 media engagements and two other events.

Since his arrival in Davos on 21 January, Prof Yunus passed hectic days through his broader engagements with the global leaders at the annual meeting of the WEF.

On first day of his visit on 21 January, the CA joined seven engagements while he held a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of the summit.

Prof Yunus also met Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta, Munich Security Conference Chairman Ambassador Christoph Heusgen, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi and Finland President Alexander Stubb.

On the second day (22 January), he joined around 14 programmes and many side events.

The Chief Adviser held meetings with Wolfgang Schmidt, Head of the Federal Chancellery and Federal Minister for Special Tasks, Federal Chancellery of Germany; King Philippe, King of Belgium; Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand; Ignazio Cassis, Federal Councilor, Federal Department for Foreign Affairs, Switzerland; Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson, Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, United Arab Emirates; UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres; Congo President Felix Tshisekedi; former US Special Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry; former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; and Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; among others, at the WEF.

Prof Yunus spoke at a plenary session titled 'The State of Climate and Nature' during the summit and attended an event of Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship at a hotel in Davos.

On the third day (23 January), Prof Yunus attended 14 scheduled events and many side programmes.

He held meetings with Sir Nick Clegg, President, Global Affairs at Meta Platforms Inc; Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of UAE-based global logistics provider DP World; Agnes Callamard, Secretary-General of rights group Amnesty International; Robert Maersk Uggla, Chair of Danish shipping and logistics company AP Moller - Maersk; and Anna Bjerde, World Bank's MD of Operations.

The Chief Adviser attended a one-on-one programme organised by Klaus Schwab, Founder of World Economic Forum at WEF summit, while he addressed an event at the Climate Hub in Davos on the sidelines of the meeting.
On his final day in Switzerland today, the chief adviser joined over seven events.

American investor Ray Dalio, founder of Marino Management and Dalio Family Office, called on Prof Yunus during the summit today.

Besides, Amer Alireza, Chairman of the Executive Committee, Xenel Group
(Red Sea Gateway Terminal Company), met the Chief Adviser.

Earlier on 21 January, Chief Adviser arrived in Zurich to attend the annual meeting of the WEF.

The Chief Adviser is scheduled to leave Zurich for Dhaka on Friday night (Switzerland time) via Zurich International Airport wrapping up his very busy four-day visit.

He is expected to return home on 25 January.