It can be easy to get caught up in the myriad of issues and debates, in the whirlwind of formal speeches, side events, and cocktail receptions that dazzle the Swiss town of Davos every January. The real test of the World Economic Forum’s worth for the global development community will come later, in the form of follow-up action.

In the meantime, in a fast-moving set of conversations tackling the world’s geopolitical and business challenges, the development issues can get lost. Here’s what made a splash this year and what didn’t fare as well:

Women’s empowerment and gender equality

An all female panel of co-chairs made sure to raise issues of women’s economic development and involvement throughout the highest levels of business — from supporting small women entrepreneurs in India, to changing cultures to see more women in the C-suite.

Global health

From pandemic preparedness to malaria eradication and antimicrobial resistance, there were some valuable conversations and announcements about key global health issues.

Youth

Despite a growing youth bulge in Africa, this year Davos fell short in addressing the needs of children and youth, according to several development professionals.

A changing private sector

Many of the world’s largest development institutions and international NGOs head to Davos to seek out and build relationships with potential private sector partners, and several of them told Devex that they’re starting to sense a changing attitude among the world’s largest companies.

Development financing

The conversation at Davos reflected a broader focus on blended finance and innovative financing instruments to finance the SDGs and respond to humanitarian crises.

The SDGs and action

While there were discussions outside the main conference center, there was only one session explicitly focused on the SDGs in the formal program. And while several development leaders present in Davos said they would have preferred more of a focus, they also understood why the SDGs weren’t front and center.

Read more about the global development issues discussed at Davos by Adva Saldinger at Devex