1. Many of the interesting things that bubbled up at this year’s Annual Meeting were at risk of being crowded out by current events.

2. Geopolitics may have dominated, but discussions elicited a broad range of insights on employment, trade, technology, sports, basic human needs, and who’s being left behind.

3. We’ve broken things down by the numbers.

This year’s Annual Meeting in Davos may have been nearly overwhelmed by current geopolitical events, but it kicked up numbers that paint a far broader picture of what’s been happening in the world – and what’s likely still to come.

Distilling Davos into a set of figures is something we try to do every January after the event, as a way of framing some of the most pressing issues and highest expectations for the year ahead.

This year, batch of numbers reflect big ambitions that could tilt the trajectory of global trade, a glaring deficiency of clean drinking water, AI-related job losses both current and projected, unsettling rates of extinction, and the surprising economic impact of sports.

There’s also a figure that says a lot about future prospects for global cooperation.

‘2.1 billion’
The actor Matt Damon and Water.org CEO Gary White made the rounds at Davos to raise awareness about a problem that affects about a quarter of the global population.

Some 2.1 billion people, Damon said during an interview on the sidelines of the event (and elsewhere), still lack access to clean water and sanitation.

At a time when many experts are spending their time figuring out how to deal with issues yet to fully materialize, it’s worth focusing on a solvable problem at hand.

’50’
That’s the current number of translators employed at the International Monetary Fund, according to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva – down from 200.

The impact of artificial intelligence on employment pervaded discussions at Davos. According to Georgieva, we’re not ready for what’s coming.

Another pair of figures from her discussion about the dilemmas involved in pursuing growth: 40% of jobs will be transformed or eliminated by AI, she said, and in advanced economies that jumps to 60%.

‘25%’
European leaders traveled to this year’s Davos under extraordinary conditions, amid inescapable new concerns about the region’s relationship with the US and persistent questions about its ability to successfully transition into a new phase for the global economy.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen previewed a potential deal that touches on both.

Very soon, she said during a special address, she would travel to India for more talks on a massive EU-India trade pact that would account “for almost a quarter of global GDP.”

‘100%’
As in, all of it.

That’s the amount of debt that many countries have now accumulated relative to their economic output.

Public debt was a constant topic of conversation at this Davos, perhaps even more so than it was in previous years – which may say something about the nature of the problem.

A 100% debt-to-GDP ratio is “conventionally seen as too high,” the historian Niall Ferguson said during an appearance at Davos – which might be putting it mildly. It was not so long ago that such a ratio was relatively unheard of. But as Ferguson noted, many advanced economies have now surpassed it.

‘14,656’
The ongoing war in Ukraine was never far from the minds and conversations of anyone at Davos assessing the most pressing issues in Europe and beyond.

Last year, human rights defender Oleksandra Matviichuk said during a Davos appearance, experts estimate that the number of people killed and injured as a result of the conflict reached 14,656 – nearly a third more than in the previous year. It was the deadliest year for the war since 2022.

During his special address at Davos, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged European leaders to start becoming more serious about the region’s defence.

’70’
The issue of social dislocation and mental well-being in the internet era was also a big topic of conversation at this year’s Davos.

Among the many daunting statistics reeled off during the Is Everyone Falling Behind? session was this, from social scientist Alice Evans: European and American men in their 20s “are spending as much time alone as men in their 70s.”

That solitude means fewer people building empathy for people of other genders, and more dwelling in “manosphere” echo chambers, she said.

‘80 billion’
It’s much more than a football competition.

The World Cup slated for July in North America will likely have a massive financial footprint. The event now generates an economic impact of about $80 billion, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said during a Davos appearance.

For the record, a recent World Economic Forum report pegged the total value of the global sports economy at $2.3 trillion.

‘3,000’
The Global Economic Outlook session wrapped with a question that may have defined much of the meeting. Is it possible that the sort of strong-arm techniques deployed in the past year or so to impact the global economy have always been the best means to achieve success, even if most Davos attendees have chosen to not acknowledge it?

Saudi Arabia’ s Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan pointed to the 3,000 participants who’d just traveled from all corners of the world to participate in something that’s all about dialogue.

That, he suggested, means some of the thorniest problems will always require cooperation.

Source: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/01/davos-2026-in-numbers/

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Ethiopia’s parliament members after addressing them at the Parliament Building during his visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, December 17, 2025.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Ethiopia’s parliament members after addressing them at the Parliament Building during his visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, December 17, 2025. /CFP

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday addressed a joint session of Ethiopia’s parliament, a rare honor accorded during his first-ever visit to the East African nation, as the two countries moved to deepen political and economic ties.

Lawmakers gave Modi a standing ovation ahead of his speech, in which he highlighted trade and investment, inclusive development, accessible technology and global peace.

“It is a moment of great privilege for me to stand before you today. I feel honoured to be here in the temple of democracy, in the heart of a nation with ancient wisdom and modern aspirations,” Modi said. “I come to you with great respect for your Parliament, for your people and your democratic journey.”

Modi’s visit comes as India and Ethiopia agreed to elevate their relationship to the level of a strategic partnership, a move he said would give bilateral ties “new energy, new impetus and new depth.” He also announced a decision to double student scholarships for Ethiopians interested in studying in India. The two countries are both members of the BRICS group of emerging economies.

Abiy Ahmed welcomed the visit, saying cooperation with India was rooted in “equality and South-South solidarity,” and focused on sovereignty, self-reliance and practical collaboration.

Bilateral talks between the two countries centred on strengthening economic, technological and defence cooperation.

Modi wraps up his Ethiopia visit on Wednesday. He is expected to travel on to Oman after concluding his engagements in Ethiopia, India’s foreign ministry said.

Source: https://newsaf.cgtn.com/news/2025-12-18/Indian-PM-Modi-addresses-Ethiopian-parliament-1JbqWrokWYg/p.html

ACTS Launches Africa-Centered AI Institute to Drive Inclusive Innovation and Development

July 17, 2025 by Joyce Onyeagoro

Rooted in the vision of an African-centered AI future, the Institute is committed to fostering ethical, inclusive, and contextually relevant AI solutions that empower communities, drive economic growth, and advance sustainable development across the continent.

The African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) has officially launched the ACTS AI Institute (ACAII), a visionary initiative dedicated to advancing responsible, African-centered AI innovation, governance, and research.

“The Institute builds on the support from the AI for Development (AI4D) program, supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). We are proud of the work that the institute has done through the AI4D Scholarship Program, which is bridging AI divided by supporting researchers and innovators from historically disadvantaged communities to develop and scale AI solutions and to shape the African AI innovation system.”

-Kathryn Toure, IDRC Director, Regional office of sub-Saharan Africa.

Rooted in the vision of an African-centered AI future, the Institute is committed to fostering ethical, inclusive, and contextually relevant AI solutions that empower communities, drive economic growth, and advance sustainable development across the continent.

While delivering the keynote address, Dr. Laurent Bochereau, Minister-Counsellor, European Union Delegation to the African Union highlighted the 25-year partnership between the AU and EU, coinciding with the anniversary of EU policy dialogue on science, technology, and innovation. This collaboration aims to foster joint activities and programs. A significant initiative is Horizon Europe, the EU’s €100 billion research and innovation program, which has a dedicated Africa Initiative, to encourage African participation.

The latest iteration, Africa Initiative III (for the 2025 budget year), has earmarked €500 million for 26 topics, including a specific call for Generative AI for Africa. This particular call, seeks to develop human-centric generative AI solutions for Africa, focusing on rural communities and women across four thematic areas; agriculture, healthcare, infrastructure, and digital skills.

“We want to involve a lot of local startups in at least three to five African locations. And we want to involve end users from the very beginning. So this call (Africa Initiative III) is open. I know it is generating a lot of interest. And we hope that this will help develop solutions which are addressing African priorities, but also using knowledge and languages which are indigenous in Africa.”

-Dr. Laurent Bochereau, Minister-Counsellor of the European Union Delegation to the African Union.

At its core, the ACTS AI Institute is driven by a mission to ensure that AI serves the people of Africa, aligning with the continent’s unique values, priorities, and aspirations. The Institute does this by focusing on five strategic pillars: Responsible AI solutions, AI policy and governance, AI and jobs, AI and capacity building, and data science. Through these pillars, the Institute creates tangible, human-centred impacts in sectors critical to Africa’s development, including agriculture, healthcare, education, and climate resilience.

“The Institute builds on the experience and network consolidated over a period of five years, since ACTS started implementing projects related to development and deployment of responsible AI solutions and related policies. This launch is therefore meant to enable us to do what we have been doing better, with a wider mandate across the continent.”

-Professor Tom Peter Migun Ogada, Executive Director, African Center for Technology Studies (ACTS)

“We are involved in research and development of Africanized policy, standards, and ethics of AI. Specifically, we are already developing an Africanized scaling of responsible AI toolbox”

– Dr Winston Ojenge, Principal Research Fellow and the Head of the ACTS AI Institute.

The Institute leverages AI to develop tools to enhance agricultural productivity, such as predictive models for weather patterns and crop yields. These solutions will empower smallholder farmers, over 60% of Africa’s population, to make informed decisions, improve harvests, and strengthen food security in the face of climate change. AI-driven diagnostics and telemedicine platforms are being tailored to address Africa’s healthcare challenges, particularly in underserved rural areas.

“It is good that we are now talking about African centered AI future. We, thus, need to prioritize bridging that gap that has existed for many years. We need to begin to think from the policy side. How do we build the necessary infrastructure? We need local infrastructure. We need appropriate capacity building, which must be centered on people understanding what they need to do in order to transition from poverty to prosperity.”

– Amb. Prof. Bitange Ndemo, Kenya’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium.

“The limitation in infrastructure comes from the entire architecture and processes around data acquisition, the ability to process data, the ability to critically develop strong and robust models. But we also have a challenge in data. Our data is still disaggregated. The Institute has the opportunity to make sure that we are closing that gap and make sure we have disaggregated data more real time, but also localize the data that can represent our local context.”

-Dr Devotha Nyambo, Senior Lecturer and Researcher, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology.

Focusing on AI and jobs, the Institute explores how AI can drive economic transformation while creating inclusive opportunities. In analyzing labor market shifts and fostering AI-driven entrepreneurship, the Institute is paving the way for new industries and job creation, particularly for Africa’s youth, who represent over 60% of the continent’s population.

Further, the Institute works to equip African policymakers, researchers, and entrepreneurs with the skills to lead in AI development and governance through targeted training programs and curriculum development. This focus on capacity building ensures that Africa’s human capital is prepared to shape the global AI landscape.

It is committed to developing AI ethics frameworks that reflect African values and ensuring transparency, fairness, and accountability to protect communities and foster innovation that respects local contexts and needs.

“What we are looking to achieve collectively is to build an ecosystem in which responsible AI policies are adopted and implemented, and in which AI innovations are scaling their impact inclusively spreading the benefits of the tools to people that are most often left out of economic and particularly technological transformations. Many young people are looking for training and opportunities, and we have seen how important it is to support institutions across the region to guide that burst of activity towards responsible and inclusive AI, and to ensure that we are thinking about not only opportunity, but also about risks.”

-Gillian Dowie, Senior Program Specialist, International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

The Institute aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy 2020-2030 and Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2024, which broadly envision a prosperous and integrated Africa driven by science, technology, and innovation.

“We are beginning to see an upsurge in digital numbers around the continent where the young people are using data centers to provide AI solutions to people within the continent. At AUDA-NEPAD level, we help support not just those working at the foundational level of AI, but those that have already leveraged AI to be able to commercialize it. I am happy that there is an opportunity for us to also look deeply at how African languages can begin to feature within this Institute.”

-Prof Brando Okolo, Head of Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI), AUDA-NEPAD.

The Institute is keen to establish and sustain partnerships with governments, academia, civil society, the private sector, and the media to build a collaborative ecosystem to steer responsible AI development.

“We have to get to a point where we begin to ask, what is it that we want? Because without having to ask those questions it means that we continue to practice AI research which do not reflect the everyday lives that people are associated with. This institute, therefore, is an AI laboratory to ask these very important questions”

– Prof Divine Fuh, Director, HUMA – Institute for Humanities in Africa.

Source: https://techafricanews.com/2025/07/17/acts-launches-africa-centered-ai-institute-to-drive-inclusive-innovation-and-development/

COP28 UAE: 124 Countries Commit to Milestone ‘Declaration on Climate and Health’
2nd December 2023 • Chetan Bhattacharji – Health Policy Watch

The United Arab Emirates, host of COP28, announced $1 billion in new funding from 124 countries for ‘Climate and Health’. The United States and India are not taking part.
In what is being described as a historic and pivotal moment by top COP28 and World Health Organization (WHO) officials, 124 countries have endorsed the Declaration of Climate and Health. Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, President of COP28 in Dubai, made the announcement.

“We have received commitments from 123 countries that are ready to sign the health declaration,” Al Jaber said Saturday. “That is a big achievement. It is a giant leap in the right direction.” China committed to the declaration shortly after Al Jaber’s remarks, bringing the final tally to 124.

The political declaration marks the first time that the health impacts of climate change have taken centre stage in 28 years of UN climate talks. China and the European Union headline the list of signatories, while the United States, India, and South Africa had not signed at the time of publication.

While it is not legally binding, the declaration serves as a voluntary call to action outside the formal process of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation in the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed hope that the declaration would dispel any lingering doubts about the health crisis posed by climate change.

“I believe we now have the basis within the COP process to move to a greater scale and greater impact and to end any silly confusion about whether the climate crisis is a health crisis,” said Al Hashimy.

‘Initial tranche’ of $1 billion announced

World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addresses COP28 after Al Jaber announced the Health & Climate declaration.
The UAE announced an “aggregated” financing commitment of $1 billion, facilitated by the Green Climate Fund, the Asian Development Bank, The Global Fund, and the Rockefeller Foundation. Al Hashimy described the funding as “an initial tranche” intended to back up the political commitments made by the 124 signatory nations.

This financing will be crucial, particularly for low- and middle-income countries. The declaration underscores the need to “better leverage synergies at the intersection of climate change and health to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of finance flows.”

“Finance for climate and health unlocks action which benefits both people and the planet,” said Jess Beagley, Policy Lead at the Global Climate and Health Alliance. This $1 billion sum is a tremendous addition to current levels of climate and health finance.”

The declaration calls for climate action to achieve “benefits for health from deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, including from just transitions, lower air pollution, active mobility, and shifts to sustainable healthy diets.”

However, the health declaration does not mention fossil fuels, a contentious issue for several governments, despite overwhelming and conclusive evidence that global warming is caused by the excessive burning of fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels are not the only notable exclusion. Two of the top three greenhouse gas emitters, the United States and India, are absent from the list of 124 nations that endorsed the declaration.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Biden, leaders of the world’s two biggest polluting nations, will not attend the Dubai conference. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended COP28 on December 1 and expressed India’s interest in hosting COP28 in 2028.

COP28 President Al Jaber expressed optimism that more countries would join the initiative.

“We continue to engage and ask many others to sign up. Those who have not signed up already have given me the right signals and positive responses that they will be signing up soon. I’m very much counting on them coming on board,” he stated.

Today’s announcement comes on the eve of a high-level meeting of health ministers and other officials in Dubai to discuss the health impacts of climate change. This ministerial meeting is expected to mark the first formal step towards including health in the COP process.

The climate crisis is a health crisis

COP28 President Dr Sultan Al Jaber announced the Climate and Health Declaration on Saturday.
The global health community, which has advocated for decades for climate change to be recognized as a health crisis, welcomed the endorsement of the Declaration of Climate and Health as a landmark moment.

“This is the realization of a dream for which the global health community has been fighting for years,” said Dr Maria Neira, who leads the WHO’s Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health “The climate crisis is a health crisis.”

Mafalda Duerte, Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund, warned of the potential for climate change to disrupt healthcare systems even more severely than the COVID-19 pandemic. “What’s coming because of climate is something we don’t fully understand,” she said.

Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, commended the financial commitments made to support climate and health initiatives. “Our foundation will commit $100 million going forward to climate and health,” he stated.

The WHO’s Dr Maria Neira, who leads the UN health body’s Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, described the declaration as the realisation of a dream for which the global health community has been fighting for years.

COP28 crossroads

The average daily global temperature shattered the 2°C above pre-industrial level mark for the first time on November 17, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate change service.
COP28 is considered the most crucial climate conference since the Paris Agreement in 2015. While the Paris Agreement secured global recognition of the need to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, the Dubai conference will require governments to reassess their Nationally Determined Commitments (NDCs) based on the findings of the first Global Stocktake (GST).

Scientific assessments from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), GST, and other expert bodies show that the current climate policies announced and enacted by governments are far too little to address the climate crisis.

The current trajectory of global emissions is headed towards warming of nearly 3 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. The big question over the next ten days in Dubai is whether countries will step up their climate commitments and agree on climate finance to accelerate the transition to a low-emission global economy.

The United States is reportedly set to pledge $3 billion to the GCF at COP28. US Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to announce the pledge during her address to the conference.

Transitioning the world to a green global economy and supporting adaptation efforts in countries vulnerable to climate change is estimated to require trillions of dollars

– Health Policy Watch

Egypt: About 90 heads of state confirmed for COP27 climate summit
By Aidan Lewis

CAIRO, Oct 3 (Reuters) – About 90 heads of state have confirmed attendance at November’s COP27 climate negotiations in Egypt where they will address issues including energy transition and food security at opening sessions, a senior Egyptian official said on Monday.

“We’ve received a large number of confirmations from around the world, I think the last count was about 90 heads of state but the numbers keep coming in,” said Wael Aboulmagd, special representative for the COP27 presidency, without mentioning specific countries.

“What we’ve decided is that our heads of state section will not be a traditional plenary-only type of affair, but rather there will be six roundtables … for heads of state to actually engage in a discussion on the issue at hand.”

Egypt is taking over the presidency of the U.N. climate talks from Britain, and will host the talks from Nov. 6-18 in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Topics for leaders’ roundtables held on Nov. 7-8 would include the development of green hydrogen, water and food security, achieving a just energy transition towards renewables, and vulnerable communities, Aboulmagd said.

The themes reflect some of the Egypt’s priorities as it tries to better promote the interests of developing nations and their need for financing to adapt to the impacts of climate change.

“We strongly believe that we need all the political will and momentum and direction coming from heads of state to push the process forward, because it has become a very, very adversarial process,” Aboulmagd said.

Egypt is working on how to include “loss and damage” – compensation to climate-vulnerable countries already suffering from climate-related weather extremes – on the summit’s formal agenda.

At last year’s COP26 in Glasgow, the United States and the European Union rejected calls for a fund to compensate for such losses.

At a pre-COP meeting of heads of delegations last month, “no one seemed to say we’re against an agenda item”, said Aboulmagd.

– REUTERS