Klaus Schwab Says He Counts on Freeland’s Leadership in Achieving WEF Objectives: Letter

World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab delivers a speech during a session of the WEF annual meeting in Davos on Jan. 17, 2023. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

World Economic Forum leader Klaus Schwab told Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland he relies on her leadership to achieve the organization’s objectives, according to a hand-signed letter obtained by The Epoch Times.

“I have long counted on your leadership in ensuring multistakeholder efforts remain focused on results that are more equitable, sustainable and just,” Mr. Schwab wrote in the February 2022 letter.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is led and attended by leaders in the fields of business, politics, and activism, and has as its motto “Committed to improving the state of the world.”

The letter was an invitation to the May 2022 annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, and advised Ms. Freeland of the schedule for the Board of Trustees meeting. She was appointed as a trustee in 2019 while serving as foreign minister.

The Epoch Times obtained the letter, as well as two others sent to Ms. Freeland by WEF President Borge Brende, through an access to information request.

The Department of Finance initially told The Epoch Times it didn’t possess any records of communications between Ms. Freeland or her staff and leadership figures within the WEF.

After a complaint submitted to the Information Commissioner, the office launched an investigation and Finance Canada subsequently found some records, including the three letters.

“After review, it has been determined that some of the information can be released,” wrote the department’s Access to Information and Privacy Division.

The 2022 WEF meeting was held under the theme “Preparing for the post-COVID era,” with Mr. Schwab highlighting in his letter that the event would be the “first truly global, in-person gathering to strengthen public-private cooperation.”

‘Great Reset’

The WEF had sought to use the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that originated China in 2019 to redefine how societies and the world function.

“The pandemic represents a rare but narrow window of opportunity to reflect, reimagine, and reset our world,” Mr. Schwab said in relation to his “Great Reset” project detailed in his book of the same name and documented on the WEF website.

Mr. Schwab told Ms. Freeland the May meeting would cover key topics such as “restoring trust in the global system and its institutions,” “addressing the roots of global and national inequality,” and “strengthening the resilience of the global health system.”

“Your presence in Davos will be of utmost importance as participants look to drive significant action on these ... issues,” he wrote. “Thus, I look forward to your guidance in working to build a better future for all.”

“I look forward to welcoming, again, you personally in Davos,” concluded the WEF leader.

The Epoch Times asked Finance Canada, Ms. Freeland’s office, and the WEF whether Mr. Schwab’s letter was generic in nature or if it was personalized. No responses were received by publication time.

Neither did Finance Canada indicate whether Ms. Freeland attended the May 2022 meeting. The Epoch Times could not find traces of her attendance online.

The federal government had announced Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne would attend the forum.

January Meeting

Ms. Freeland did attend the WEF’s January 2023 meeting, where she participated in a public panel on Ukraine and another undisclosed private session on the same topic. Existence of the latter was revealed following an order paper filed by Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis.

Other participants in the private session included U.S. climate czar John Kerry, Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and former British prime ministers Boris Johnson and Tony Blair, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended remotely.

The Epoch Times filed an access to information request with Finance Canada to obtain details about the session, such as notes or remarks from Ms. Freeland, but it said no such records exist. A complaint has been filed and the Information Commissioner says it intends to investigate.

Partnerships With WEF

Canada has participated in at least two WEF initiatives having an impact on policy, such as the “Known Traveller Digital Identity” project and the Agile Nations network.

The former involved developing a digital credential for travelling by plane between countries. The latter seeks to streamline regulations across countries to usher-in the WEF-promoted “Fourth Industrial Revolution,” seeking to see the proliferation of new technologies such as gene editing and artificial intelligence.

Along with participation in such projects, the federal government has also provided over $17.4 million in funding to the WEF in recent years.

The Epoch Times has other pending access to information requests to obtain internal government documents about its relationship with the WEF.