GENEVA • The World Economic Forum (WEF) will return to the Swiss ski resort of Davos next year, after the coronavirus pandemic forced organisers to shift the event to Singapore and then cancel it altogether this year.

The in-person meeting has been scheduled for Jan 17 to 21 and designed "to address economic, environmental, political and social fault lines exacerbated by the pandemic", the group said on Thursday.

The meeting will focus on accelerating stakeholder capitalism, harnessing the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and ensuring a more inclusive future of work, WEF organisers said in a statement.

The meeting usually features heads of states as well as many of the world's top executives, bankers and economic policymakers.

"The pandemic has brought far-reaching changes," WEF founder Klaus Schwab said. "In a world full of uncertainty and tension, personal dialogue is more important than ever."

Pointing to how the health crisis has "exacerbated fractures across society", the organisers insisted on the need for leaders to meet face to face and create partnerships and policies.

"The meeting will bring together forward-thinking leaders to drive multi-stakeholder collaboration and address the world's most pressing economic, political and societal challenges," the statement said.

As the pandemic continues to rage on, the organisers emphasised that "the well-being of participants, staff, service providers and hosts is a priority".

They said that they were working closely with the Swiss authorities and with national and international health experts and organisations to put in place measures that are "appropriate and adapted to the context".

BLOOMBERG, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE