Justin Trudeau’s top minister has been suddenly added to the list of speakers at the World Economic Forum summit in Davos.
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland is the sole Canadian government official set to address the elite gathering on Thursday. Her office has yet to release an official press statement regarding her hasty inclusion.
The conference centred around the theme of “rebuilding trust” this year and it has not disclosed its attendee list. Global Affairs Canada did not respond to a request for comment from True North about whether any representatives from the Canadian government would be attending.
The panel Freeland is set to participate in is titled “No Recovery without Trade and Investment” and aims to address the current trade tensions facing the global economy.
Notable figures sharing the stage with Freeland include Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Børge Brende, President of the World Economic Forum Geneva, Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President for an Economy that Works for People and Commissioner for Trade at the European Commission, among others.
Freeland is not a newcomer to the World Economic Forum. As a member of the Forum’s Board of Trustees, she regularly attends its annual meeting.
Last year, she participated in discussions focused on peace and security.
True North is on the ground covering the 2024 World Economic Forum annual meeting.
In 2023, True North’s Andrew Lawton questioned Freeland on her affiliation with the organization.
