The World Economic Forum is the international organization for public-private cooperation. It provides a global, impartial, not-for-profit platform for meaningful connection between political, business, academic, civil society and other leaders.

At the heart of the Forum’s mission of improving the state of the world lies the belief in the power of human ingenuity, entrepreneurship, innovation and cooperation. The Forum recognizes the need to create a space in which to nurture rigorous and respectful dialogue between and among leaders with different beliefs and viewpoints, where diversity of thought is respected and all voices can be heard. Achieving this mission is made possible by its stakeholders, who come together to find common ground and seize opportunities for positive change.

Established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation, the Forum remains independent, impartial and dedicated to upholding the highest standards of governance and integrity. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with offices in Beijing, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo.

The Forum platform seeks to support discussion among diverse viewpoints and meaningful connections and partnerships between those who want to work together to improve the state of the world. This overarching purpose is developed and implemented by highly skilled staff from almost 100 countries, shaping partnerships, networks, communities and initiatives that extend beyond the Forum and involve multiple organizations and stakeholders.

The Forum’s work to facilitate progress on systemic challenges is driven by its 10 centres, each applying a unique combination of approaches to drive change. The centres build communities of purpose essential to addressing large-scale global challenges. Guided by these communities, centres convert ambition into focused action through structured multi-year initiatives and insight generation.

In addition to the work of the centres, the Forum hosts a range of meetings, from the multi-thematic Annual Meeting held in Davos to convenings focused on specific thematic areas. These provide platforms for trust-based engagement, robust debate and public-facing dialogue.

This Annual Report for 2023-2024 offers a comprehensive overview of key developments, initiatives, meetings and impact driven by the work across the organization.

In “Our Impact”, selected initiatives and meetings demonstrate our efforts to drive progress in specific areas and encourage global collaboration in an era of fragmentation. “Our Organization” provides an overview of our 10 centres, their priorities and key highlights, along with summaries of our centre initiatives, communities and reports they have been involved in.

Additionally, the report covers updates from our core functions and provides insights into our talent, offices and affiliated organizations – the Forum of Young Global Leaders, the Global Shapers Community and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

Finally, the report also showcases the Forum’s leadership, governance, financial performance and non-financial performance metrics.