Activities – The House of Switzerland at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025

date 21.01.2024

Healthcare technology outtakes: the untold stories of AI and data-driven innovation

Tuesday, January 21, 2025
09:30 - 13:00
Location : Crystal Lounge

Organized by Swissmedic & FOUR

Nearly 9 out of 10 medicines fail to make it to market. Yet, tens of thousands of people go to work every day with a singular goal: to beat these odds, together.
The resilience and persistence of these individuals, working across diverse roles and corners of our ecosystem, lie at the heart of the innovation engine that powers healthcare systems worldwide.

Failure, too, is a dominant and integral feature of fearlessly standing at the forefront of the unknown. Sartre reportedly wrote: "If a victory is told in detail, one can no longer distinguish it from a defeat."

What are the untold details of the great scientific and technological victories of our time - stories we revisit less often, but ought to tell?
What is the role of AI in empowering humans to take bolder risks, leading to the breakthroughs required to transform our health systems in the face of immense challenges: rising demand for healthcare services, workforce shortages, and demographic shifts?

Contact for information, event registration & media requests:
davos@four-corp.com

21.02.24

Rebalancing the Global AI Landscape - the International Computation and AI Network (ICAIN)

Tuesday, January 21, 2025
10:30-12:30
Location : Nordside

Organized by the Digitalisation Division of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs with partners of ICAIN (ETHZ, EPFL, Swiss Supercomputing Center, Finnish Supercomputer Center, Data Science Africa, ELLIS)

ICAIN is a global initiative focused on broadening access to AI resources for sustainable development research. The organization connects AI capabilities (computing power, data, and expertise) with research projects aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

With its current members (both Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, Swiss National Computing Center, European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems, Data Science Africa, Finnish IT Center for Science) and under the patronage of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, ICAIN not only draws on the expertise of experienced policy-makers and some of the best AI researchers in Europe and Africa, but also has two of the most advanced, powerful supercomputers in the world at its disposal.

The event will serve to present first results of Pilot use cases for instance of a humanitarian LLM (with ICRC) and to launch the operational phase of ICAIN.

Person for information, event registration & media requests:
Elisabeth Stingelin
Political Advisor, FDFA
elisabeth.stingelin@eda.admin.ch
+41 58 485 62 43

Date 21.01.25

Data for all and everyone – is this the solution to combat misinformation?

Tuesday, January 21, 2025
13:30-15:30
Location : Nordside

Organized by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office with the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN in Geneva

Today, data is a dime a dozen. However, the quality of the data often leaves a lot to be desired. Access to data is also not guaranteed and is currently uncoordinated. It is known that harmonized and standardized data would help to combat misinformation and provide science with a tool for research. Finding the correct information is not always easy. Switzerland, in cooperation with various international actors, including with the government of Rwanda, is examining the development of a global metadata platform or Trusted Data Observatory, based in Geneva. Thus, “trusted data” would be findable and accessible to users including for AI tools (such as ChatGPT) in a harmonized and standardized way. Is this the solution to combat misinformation? 

This event will take place as part of the Unlocking the Power of Data Initiative. It builds on the discussions at the House of Switzerland over the past two years, but also on the discussions at the 5th UN World Data Forum, which took place in Colombia in November 2024. 

Contact for information & event registration
Unlocking the Power of Data Initiative:
upd-initiative@bfs.admin.ch

Person for media requests 
Pascal Blickle
International Affairs Officer
pascal.blickle@bfs.admin.ch
+41 79 543 75 69

21.01.25

Games for Good: Leveraging Gaming Technology for Sustainable Development

Tuesday, January 21, 2025
14:30-16:30
Location : Crystal Lounge

Organized by the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN in Geneva with the Digitalization Division of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

While gaming is often associated with social ills, video games and gaming technologies have demonstrated remarkable potential for driving positive change. Beyond raising awareness of social or environmental issues, games have supported scientific research by engaging communities in data collection and problem-solving. Serious games designed for educational or training purposes have been applied in areas such as healthcare, environmental sustainability, and international humanitarian law. Gaming technologies can also be used in therapeutic and rehabilitation contexts. Bringing together experts from the gaming industry, international organisations, and academia, this event will discuss this potential and showcase innovative applications of gaming, including its potential to advance scientific discovery and foster collaborations within International Geneva’s global governance ecosystem.

Person for information & event registration
Geneva Day Team, Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva: genevaday@eda.admin.ch 

Person for media requests 
Paola Ceresetti, Spokesperson
paola.ceresetti@eda.admin.ch
079 240 19 18

Date 21.01.25

Critical infrastructure protection: Who is responsible?

Tuesday, January 21, 2025
16:00-18:00
Location : Nordside

Organized by the Digitalisation Division of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs with Geneva Dialogue – Diplo Foundation and the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN in Geneva

We live in an interconnected world where cyber operations, whether criminal or state-sponsored, can have drastic effects for critical infrastructure (CI) in the physical world. States have committed to the UN framework for responsible behaviour in cyberspace, but what does this mean for non-state stakeholders such as CI operators, ICT developers, and cybersecurity researchers?

The Geneva Dialogue on Responsible Behaviour in Cyberspace will address these issues with a multistakeholder approach. Established by Switzerland in 2018, the Dialogue maps roles and responsibilities for implementing cyber norms, contributing to cyber-stability and security. Participants will engage with cybersecurity and cyber diplomacy experts, explore best practices, and contribute to shaping the future of global cybersecurity governance.

Person for information & event registration
Anastasiya Kazakova
anastasiyak@diplomacy.edu
 

Person for media requests 
Serge Droz
Senior Advisor, Division Digitalisation at FDFA
serge.droz@eda.admin.ch

21.01.25

Doing More with Less: how to address growing needs in times of economic uncertainty?

Tuesday, January 21, 2025
17:00-18:30
Location : Crystal Lounge

Organized by the Swiss Financial Innovation Desk (FIND) of the State Secretariat for International Finance with the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN in Geneva

In an era of mounting geopolitical uncertainty, financial constraints, and global challenges, how can innovation and technology act as catalysts for governments to navigate the pressing issues of tomorrow?

The 60 minutes-panel discussion will bring together global leaders from government, international organizations and industry to explore the transformative potential of emerging technologies – such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) – alongside policies that reinforce economic stability and innovative fiscal strategies designed to enhance public finance management, boost labor productivity, and achieve more with fewer resources. We will also delve into the necessary mindset shifts required to fully harness these advancements and discuss the critical safeguards that must be established to responsibly integrate these new technologies.

Person for information, event registration & media requests
Vénusia Bertin
FIND Community and Events Lead
venusia.bertin@find.swiss
+41 78 929 69 45

Date 22.01.25

Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty

Wednesday, January 22, 2025
08:00-10:00
Location : Nordside

Organized by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations organisations in Rome

The Global Alliance Against Poverty and Hunger (GAHP) is an innovative approach to accelerate efforts to implement SDG 1 (No Poverty) and 2 (Zero Hunger). It reinforces political drive and fosters synergies to combat hunger and poverty. The GAHP facilitates mobilization and enhance alignment between national and international support, including public and private financial resources and knowledge-sharing, to enable the large-scale implementation of evidence-based policy instruments by countries, centered around those most affected by extreme poverty and hunger and people in vulnerable contexts. This event is a unique opportunity to learn about the GAHP work, to connect the Brazilian and Southern African G20 presidencies to the COP 30 in Belém, Brazil. Discussions will focus on how to build climate resilience at scale for smallholder farmers and the agrifood sector, with perspectives from governments, the United Nations, the private sector, academia and civil society.

Person for information & event registration
Alessandra Roversi
Programme manager, SDC
alessandra.roversi@eda.admin.ch

Person for media requests 
Charlotte Fahrni
Communication Officer, SDC
charlotte.fahrni@eda.admin.ch

Date 22.01.25

OpenWallet Forum: High-Level Panel

Wednesday, January 22, 2025
10:30-13:00
Location : Crystal Lounge

Organized by the Swiss Federal Office of Justice, the International Telecommunication Union and the OpenWallet Foundation

The OpenWallet Forum High-Level Panel Event, hosted by the ITU and Linux Foundation, focuses on advancing global interoperability of digital wallets as critical components of digital public infrastructure. It brings together stakeholders to discuss public policy, technical specifications, security, privacy, and inclusion, aiming to enable wallets to securely store and manage digital credentials like IDs, payment methods, and certificates. The event will present a Call for Action to guide collaboration on creating open, interoperable solutions for digital wallets, driving digital transformation and global cooperation.

Person for information & event registration
Vijay Mauree, Programme Coordinator
Vijay.mauree@itu.int 

Person for media requests 
Rolf Rauschenbach, Communications Officer E-ID, Federal Office of Justice
rolf.rauschenbach@bj.admin.ch
+41 79 133 11 06

Matthew Dalais
Communications Officer, TSB, ITU
matthew.dalais@itu.int 
+41 22 730 5974

22.01.25

Innovative Impact Financing Matters: Become a strong and credible leader in future market development

Wednesday, January 22, 2025
10:30-13:30
Location : Nordside

Organized by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation with the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and the State Secretariat for International Finance

A well-functioning and inclusive financial sector is vital for a country's economic development. It offers the opportunity to mobilise savings to make productive investments. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis, innovative and impact financing have become even more important. Impact investing, in particular, is growing worldwide, including in Switzerland as a global financial hub, and in developing countries. Mainstream investors are increasingly moving towards sustainable and impact finance going beyond mitigating economic and other risks to include environmental, social, and governance aspects (ESG). Many are now ready to take the next step by investing directly in achieving the SDGs through innovative and impact financing. 
How is innovative and impact finance reshaping the financial sector and broader economic development? Join us for this interactive event with high-ranking personalities. 

Person for information & event registration 
Susanna Graf, Senior Project  & Communication Management SDC
susanna.graf@eda.admin.ch
079 203 74 30

Person for media requests
Charlotte Fahrni
Communication Officer, SDC
charlotte.fahrni@eda.admin.ch