Professor Klaus Schwab Receives Honorary Knighthood

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw Presents Honorary Knighthood to Professor Klaus Schwab (excerpt of presentation speech, Davos 2006)

The World Economic Forum is unique among global meetings for allowing politicians, businessmen, young leaders and civil society to mix freely and equally. And, paradoxically for a gathering which takes place half-way up a mountain, it is one of the few big economic summits which doesn't involve "sherpas" - in other words those groups of experts who make sure everything is agreed and ready for signature before their bosses arrive. This means that every year Davos provides a chance for leaders in all fields to meet people they might not otherwise and to do so in a free and informal atmosphere.

And though attention is often focused on these few days each winter, the work of the World Economic Forum continues throughout the year; for example, the Disaster Resource Network's efforts in the wake of the tsunami and the earthquake in Pakistan; or the Forum's successful co-operation with the government of Jordan on improving public schooling - a project which has now been extended to Egypt, India and the Palestinian Authority. Last year, also saw the launch of the first group of Young Global Leaders as well as a huge growth in the number of candidates - from 150 to 2000 - who applied to the Schwab Foundation to be "Social Entrepreneur of the Year".

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