Bathroom at Davos sums up the World Economic Forum’s values

The World Economic Forum is in full-swing and edging ever closer to the highlight of this year’s event — the keynote address by President Donald Trump on Friday afternoon.

Whether Trump signs up to the Forum’s main theme “Creating a shared future in a fractured world” remains to be seen, and many world leaders at the event have already criticized his “America First”agenda.

Nonetheless, one disabled-accessible bathroom in the Forum’s main Congress Center sums up the meeting’s ethos and values in one fell swoop. The bathroom, restroom, toilette or loo, as Brits would call it, has a sign on the door that says:

“This restroom may be used by any person regardless of gender, identity or expression”

The bathroom is within WEF's Congress Center
The bathroom is within WEF’s Congress Center

The inclusive perspective implicit in the bathroom neatly sums up WEF’s approach to society, its promotion of gender equality and open-mindedness.

The Forum emphasizes that it “adheres to the principles of independence, impartiality, moral integrity and intellectual integrity” and that all are welcome.

WEF was unavailable to comment on whether the bathroom’s stance was a new addition to the Forum.


CNBC