Queen Maxima, PM Rutte lead Dutch delegation World Economic Forum in Davos

Queen Maxima and Prime Minister Mark Rutte will lead the Dutch delegation at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos this week. The Queen will attend the entire Forum in her capacity as special advocate of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Inclusive Financing for Development. The Prime Minister will join the meetings later in the week.

The Dutch Queen will be in Davos from Monday evening until Thursday. In that time she will attend a dinner focused on how to help shape the new generation of adults, open an workshop on Financial Inclusion and how proper access to financial services is essential for the development of small- and medium sized enterprises, and a number of plenary sessions, among other things.

Maxima will meet with government representatives and central bank officials from various countries, including Ethiopia, Ghana, Italy, Nigeria, and Pakistan, as well as representatives of fintech organizations and the business community about improving access to financial services. Some 1.7 billion people worldwide still don't have access to basic financial services like bank accounts, insurance or pensions, hindering their economic development.

On Wednesday, Maxima will meet with the CEOs of Partnership for Economic Inclusion - an informal collaboration of 10 international companies working on projects that make financial services more accessible to their clients and to increase the market potential.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte will attend the WEF on Wednesday and Thursday. Ministers Sigrid Kaag for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Minister Wopke Hoekstra of Finance, Minister Bruno Bruins for Medical Care and Sport, and Minister Stientje van Veldhoven for Environment and Housing will also attend the Forum.

The WEF is an annual, international gathering of around 2 thousand politicians, representatives of the business community and international organizations, academics, civil society organizations and journalists. This year is the WEF's 50th anniversary.