Roundtable
1:
International
Economic Institutions
(revised
January 24, 2002) |
Introduction
(in
french)
The
role of international economic institutions in
the globalization process has been the object
of very harsh criticism by the NGO community worldwide,
as exemplified by the enormous outpouring of public
protest in the last five years. The civil society
critique is that the Bretton Woods Institutions
have not only perpetuated and institutionalized
the negative patterns of economic globalization,
but that the BWIs have failed to support developing
countries in meeting national challenges for economic
growth and sustainable development. The central
objective of the International Economics Institutions
Roundtable is to address the role of ethical norms
in underpinning the work of the Bretton Woods
Institutions and in ensuring that the benefits
of economic globalization are distributed more
equitably within and between societies.
Session
One: The Ethics-Related Obstacles and Challenges
to Achieving Sustainable Development
- Economic
globalisation may, in certain cases, be the
best guarantor of efficiency, but not necessarily
of equity. What are the specific ethics and
equity-related impacts of the phenomenon of
economic globalisation and the related processes
of increased liberalisation and privatisation?
Please provide specific examples.
- Many
NGOs assert that the international economic
institutions, such as the WTO, IMF and the
World Bank have perpetuated and institutionalised
the negative patterns of economic globalisation,
which itself has led to concentration of power
and wealth for a select group of individuals,
corporations and countries, not to mention
the marginilization of livelihood economies
around the globe. DO you agree with this assertion?
If so, please provide specific examples where
Bretton Woods institutions have contributed
to the negative consequences of globalization.
- What
are the specific ethical challenges related
to the governance of international economic
institutions, where it is asserted that many
of their rules are asymmetric and imbalanced,
imposing unjust and inequitable burdens on
poorer countries.
-
The Secretary-General's report on the Implementation
of Agenda 21 maintains that the process of
globalization must be managed so as to advance
economic growth and sustainable development
in all countries and to spread the benefits
more widely. What are the ethical challenges
related to the fact that the behaviour and
practices of the main economic actors have
not been brought under any form of effective
framework of regulation or accountability?
Please provide specific examples illustrating
the need for enhanced "management of
globalization".
Session
Two: The Role of Ethical Principles and Values
in the Promotion of Sustainable Development
-
The challenge of the new century is not to
stop the expansion of world markets, but to
find the rules and institutions for stronger
global governance to: (a) preserve the advantages
of global markets and competition; and (b)
support the protection and enhancement of
human, community and environmental resources.
What is the role of ethical norms in ensuring
that globalisation works for people and not
just profits?
- What
is the role of ethical norms in "capturing
the battle of the paradigms" between
unregulated globalisation, driven by individual
self-interest and corporate greed, versus
global partnership between rich and poor in
promotion of sustainable development?
- UNDP's
1999 Human Development Report calls for globalisation
with: ethics - less violation of human rights;
equity - less disparity within and between
nations; inclusion - less marginalisation
of people and countries; human security -
less instability and vulnerability to societies;
sustainability - less environmental destruction;
and development - less poverty and deprivation.
What is the role of ethical norms in giving
expression to these imperatives? How can these
norms be more effectively promoted and operationalised
within the Bretton Woods institutions?
Session
Three: Policy Recommendations for Action and Implementation
1.
The Secretary-General's report on the implementation
of Agenda 21 identifies a number of initiatives
necessary to make "globalization work for
sustainable development". These include:
(i)
Development of macro-economic policy management
at national and international levels to address
globalization impacts on sustainable development;
(ii)
Removal of trade-distorting subsidies and improvement
of access of products and services of developing
countries to developed country markets;
(iii)
Elimination of all exceptions to duty-free and
quota-free treatment for exports from LDCs;
(iv)
Assistance to developing countries to integrate
into the world trade system;
(v)
strengthening of the WTO to ensure that it provides
an institutional framework for the realization
of an unbiased, rule-based and non-discriminatory
international trade system;
(vi)
Assistance to developing countries in narrowing
the digital divide;
(vii)
Integration of long-term sustainable development
goals into policies, country programmes and operational
guidelines of the international financial and
trade institutions;
(viii)
Measures to ensure that macro-economic policies
and structural reforms promoted by the IMF take
due account of sustainable development priorities
of recipient countries;
(ix)
Enhancement of the capacity of developing countries
to participate effectively in trade negotiations.
What
are the new and additional strategic elements
that the Earth Dialogues should address in the
promotion of these recommendations? In particular,
what are the ethics dimensions that should be
highlighted? And how should these recommendations
be elaborated upon beyond the general points highlighted
in the Secretary-General's report?
2.
What are the specific measures needed to engage
the key economic actors such as the TNCs, the
WTO, the IMF and the World Bank and to ensure
that the process, forces and phenomenon of economic
globalisation can be harnessed to better meet
the needs of the poor, marginalized and dispossessed
populations of the world.
3.Given
the importance and complexity of economic globalisation,
how best should the issue be framed at Johannesburg?
Should Johannesburg establish a special sub-commission
or high-level panel on trade and sustainable development
to examine and take decisions on globalisation-related
impacts. How might such a new independent body
be linked with the WTO Committee on Trade and
Environment?
4.What
sort of review processes should Johannesburg put
in place in order to better assess the sustainability
implications of existing trade agreements, not
to mention World Bank and IMF policies and programmes?
5.
How can Johannesburg provide further political
impetus and policy guidance to such globalization-related
challenges as: (a) acceleration of democracy and
institution building to keep pace with the forces
and impacts of globalisation; (b) strengthening
of policies and actions for human development
and adapting them to the new realities of the
global economy; (c) reduction of the threats of
financial volatility; (d) taking stronger global
action to tackle global threats to human security;
(e) development of technologies to support human
development and poverty eradication; (f) reversing
the marginalization of the poor and small countries;
(g) redressing the imbalances in global governance
systems to ensure greater inclusivity, transparency
and accountability.
Session
Four: Political Strategies for Monterrey, Johannesburg
and Beyond
-
What are the political strategies needed to
overcome the tensions between the Bretton
Woods Institutions and those UN bodies responsible
for the development and promotion of sustainable
development policy?
- What
are the political strategies necessary to
foster the constructive engagement of the
BWIs in Johannesburg?
- What
are the political strategies needed to level
the playing field at Johannesburg between
the big economic actors and the poor, dispossessed,
marginalised countries and communities, whose
voices are rarely heard or reflected in international
meetings such as the WSSD?
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