Global: Rich and powerful to meet at Davos amid 'gathering storm of human rights crises'

World Economic Forum’s annual meeting to begin on Sunday 22 May

Ahead of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos that starts on Sunday (22 May), Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said: 

“This year’s Davos conference takes place amid a gathering storm of human rights crises. Russia’s mounting war crimes in Ukraine, the terrifying rollback on abortion rights in the US, the still-neglected climate emergency, the ongoing failure to secure universal vaccine access – these are just a few examples of what happens when human rights are sacrificed for power and profit.  

“Many of the political and business leaders attending Davos are directly responsible for these catastrophes, whether through their explicit pursuit of anti-human rights agendas or through their contemptible inaction and failure to implement solutions.  

“The Davos guestlist includes some of the richest and most powerful people in the world, and they have a moral obligation to put respect for human rights at the top of the agenda. They must use their vast wealth and influence to change the status quo and end the rampant inequality which has been the root cause of so much recent suffering.”

The World Economic Forum's annual meeting will take place in Davos, Switzerland, between 22 and 26 May.

Agnès Callamard will be in attendance on 25 and 26 May. She will be available for media interviews on a range of human rights issues, including: 

• Russian war crimes in Ukraine and the path to justice
• Digital surveillance and the right to privacy
• The urgent need for equitable vaccine access 
• The global assault on human rights defenders and restrictions on civic space
• The need to evolve human rights norms and practices to ensure they are fit for the modern age and for the future

To request an interview, please contact media@amnesty.org.uk.