Davos Welcomes Syria, Forgetting Its Humanitarian Record
Yes, the World Economic Forum, where the world's most powerful gather to discuss 'global cooperation' and 'resilience,' is now rolling out the red carpet for a regime that, according to numerous UN reports, has overseen a decade of brutal repression and a humanitarian catastrophe. It appears 'isolation' is merely a temporary inconvenience, easily overcome when geopolitical winds shift (or perhaps
when oil and gas discussions are on the agenda). The same Western media that once decried the 'Assad regime' as pariahs are now cautiously optimistic about its 'return to the fold.' One might wonder if the 6.8 million Syrian refugees and 6.7 million internally displaced persons (UNHCR, 2023 data) received an invitation to Davos, or if their 'isolation' is of a slightly more permanent variety.
'Global isolation' for some is just Tuesday for others. The rebranding of brutal dictatorships as 'partners' is a Davos tradition as sacred as its chalet parties.