Some 3,000 global leaders in the fields of politics, business, civil society, academics and media will meet on January 27 in the eastern Swiss town of Davos to discuss world economic development in the new century.

With "New Beginnings: Making a Difference" as this year's theme, the 30th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) will mark the first international gathering of the 21st century, said the Geneva-based non-profit organization.

"New realities are radically changing almost every domain of human activity. The compounding forces of globalization, technological and biological revolution, and the emerging e-commerce confront us with a challenge of unprecedented magnitude in modern history," WEF's Managing Director Claude Smadja said at the eve of the meeting.

He said the meeting will be "a unique opportunity" to "set the tone" in addressing the new economic, technological, social and geopolitical realities of the 21st century.

The meeting will focus on the following topics: environment, education; social values; the Internet economy, new technologies and inclusiveness; new business models and new economic rules; asserting peace imperatives for the 21st century and civil conflicts; the role of business, government and civil society; constructing a healthy policy in a unipolar world; maintaining personal balance in an ever more complicated world; and the challenge of managing diversity in the 21st century.

Klaus Schwab, WEF president and also founder of the organization, called for the establishment of flexible networks, which can put together governments, international organizations and business to review new issues on the global agenda.

The WEF, founded in 1971, aims to serve its members and societyby creating the foremost global partnership of business, political,intellectual and other leaders of society to define and discuss key issues on the global agenda.