As health systems confront lingering pandemic risks, widening inequality, and political fragmentation, Ghribi sought out leaders who shape policy at different levels of power to advance a form of health diplomacy that links global institutions, public policy, and private capacity at a moment when coordination, not declarations, is increasingly scarce
As world leaders gathered in the Swiss Alps for the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, philanthropist Kamel Ghribi today orchestrated a series of high-level discussions aimed at strengthening international cooperation on health and economic challenges at a time of deepening global fragmentation.
The meetings brought together Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan, Gabon’s Minister of Economy Mark-Alexandre Doumba, and Italy’s Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci, a convergence that underscored the interconnected nature of contemporary global crises.
“The World Economic Forum once again affirms its role as a central space for multilateral dialogue,” Ghribi, who is also chairman of Italy’s GKSD and San Donato Group, said in a statement seen by Impact Newswire. “International cooperation, health, and stability continue to stand as essential pillars for building a peace in which we must continue to believe.”
The discussions come as the WHO continues to navigate pandemic preparedness reforms and global health equity challenges, while international institutions face mounting pressure from nationalist movements and geopolitical rivalries. The inclusion of Armenia’s president reflects ongoing concerns about regional stability in the South Caucasus, where tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan remain high following years of conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.
In a separate engagement that highlighted the growing role of subnational leaders in global governance, Ghribi met with California Governor Gavin Newsom, whose state economy ranks as the world’s fifth-largest and has increasingly pursued independent climate and health policies.
“In the context of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting here in Davos, I had—among other important engagements—a highly constructive meeting with the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom,” Ghribi stated. “It was a substantive exchange on the major challenges of international cooperation and on the pivotal role of strategic dialogue between public institutions and global enterprises.”
The meeting with Newsom is particularly notable given California’s outsized influence on American policy and its role as a testing ground for progressive initiatives on healthcare, climate action, and technology regulation. The state has often positioned itself as a counterweight to federal policies, particularly during periods of political division in Washington.
This year’s Davos gathering has been marked by discussions of “cooperation in a fragmented world,” the forum’s official theme, as leaders grapple with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, climate emergencies, Trump’s threat to take over Greenland, and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence.
Ghribi’s meetings with key global health decision makers reflect a growing recognition that contemporary challenges, from pandemic preparedness to economic resilience, cannot be addressed through single-sector approaches. Public-private partnerships, a cornerstone of the World Economic Forum’s model, have become increasingly central to policy discussions as governments face fiscal constraints and technological disruption.
His emphasis on multilateral dialogue and international cooperation comes at a moment when such principles face significant challenges, with rising nationalism, trade tensions between major powers, and questions about the effectiveness of international institutions.
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