STORY: Aside from the Ukraine crisis, the post-pandemic recovery, tackling climate change, the future of work, accelerating stakeholder capitalism and harnessing new technologies are among the topics scheduled for discussion at Davos.

As the WEF meeting emerges from a coronavirus pandemic hiatus of more than two years, a deferral from January to May means that attendees are surrounded by spring flowers and verdant slopes rather than navigating icy streets.

WEF founder and executive chairman Klaus Schwab asked for Ukrainian delegates at the event to receive a warm round of applause before saying the war would be "a turning point in history" with the power to reshape the global political and economic landscape in the coming years.