|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Saturday, 11 September 2004 |
 |
|
 |
News | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
by Malmi Sellahannadi Globalisation has posed many challenges for Third World countries, said Minister of Labour Relations and Foreign Employment Athauda Senviratne, chief guest at the International Labour Office (ILO) launch of the Report titled "Fair Globalisation Creating Opportunities for all". What is needed is to balance globalisation, economy and society. "Globalisation should not be about business only but also economy and society". In addition, they must ensure globalisation does not create poverty," he said. Claudia Coenjearts, Country Director of ILO said the Report is the result of two years of consultation led by a World Commission on the Social Impact of Globalisation. The Commission was led by two State Presidents Mkapa and Halonen who were from South and North. It had 26 members among whom were a Nobel Prize Winner, people from high level business, trade unions, civil society from North and South, East and West,she said. She thanked the Secretary of Finance hoped to develop a socio-economic floor to support the economic policy. She said: " The report is the first systematic effort to analyze and respond to globlisation. It starts from the realisation that globlisation is here to stay, that it has enormous potential, but that has as yet to be demonstrated. Many are suffering bad effects, and very often it is the ability to have a job or to earn an income that is affected. The report states that there must be a new ethical framework that manages it, so that more people can benefit. Because, if the benefits and the gains continue to go to only a few, the many will protest. As expected, there has been a lot of controversy. What the report presents was the common ground; this is what makes the report special; it does not reflect a single view, but pulls together opposing views and it presents a systematic response to what should be done globally, and nationally to make globalisation work better. The report highlights the need for a better management of globalisation and spells out how we must rethink policies and institutions of global governance. In that respect it specifically refers to the importance of the Multilateral system, but it states that the system needs to improve its governance, its coherence in policies, and the need for a more democratic representation and decision-making. The report promotes a socio-economic floor to the economy; and suggests poverty reduction and the attainment of MDG's as a first step. It calls for fair rules to manage production systems and trade arrangements; it calls for wealthy nations to help national efforts in poorer nations. But it also puts responsibility on these nations and states themselves, asserting that while there are many aspects to better global management, the work must start at home. We need better functioning Governance; policy makers and administrations need to be fully and continuously accountable to their people; there must be better systems for participation of people, and employment must come forward as a more central element to achieve poverty reduction. But employment as well as poverty reduction take on a larger meaning; it also includes rights, protection, dialogue and participation. The ILO promotes it as a Decent Work Agenda." |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
