OREANDA-NEWS. More than 1,500 business leaders and 50 heads of state or government will convene at the 44th World Economic Forum, which begins on Wednesday in Davos, Switzerland. This year, the Annual Meeting will be co-chaired by Total's Chairman and CEO, Christophe de Margerie, and six other influential business leaders, including Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!, and Jiang Jianqing, Chairman of the Board, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).

“Being asked to co-chair the Forum is a tremendous privilege,” comments Mr. de Margerie, who has taken part in the summit for several years. “Davos offers a unique opportunity to meet leaders from across the world, share their insights and take part in a truly global conversation. Total and the energy industry as a whole can make a real contribution to the discussions.”

Once again this year, the social, political and economic changes that are reshaping our world, especially the transformations stemming from scientific breakthroughs and the rapid pace of technological advances, will dominate the talks. The Forum will also look at continent-specific trends, particularly in Europe, analyze global challenges such as energy and climate change, and reflect on the progress being made by global governance to address them.

Mr. de Margerie believes that, “while the Forum's commitment to improving the state of the world may seem overly ambitious or naive, there is no doubt that it helps build a collective awareness of the major issues of our age and opens up discourse between influential stakeholders.” This is a considerable advantage at a time when the international community still seems to lack the tools for effective governance.