 |
|
 |
COMMISSION
ON GLOBALISATION: 2000 - 2004
FINAL REPORT |
|
|
|
|
|
COMMISSION
ON GLOBALISATION: 2000 - 2004
FINAL REPORT |
|
|
INTRODUCTION
THE COMMISSION ON GLOBALISATION The proposal
for an international and cross-sectoral Commission on Globalisation
grew out of State of the World Forum 2000, convened September 4-10,
2000 in New York. The conference was a multi-stakeholder “post
Seattle” dialogue on globalization and coincided with the UN
Millennium Summit of Heads of State. The event was unprecedented in
scope and diversity and gave rise to the recommendation that such
a substantive and diverse interaction should be continued in light
of the growing public and political debate on globalization and global
governance, heightened by the number
of protesters at WTO, IMF/World
Bank and World Economic Forum meetings from
Seattle to Genoa. The
Commission was the result of those discussions and considerations,
and was
designed to be a four-year enterprise. In
August 2004, the Commission on Globalisation
completed its activities. When
the Commission was launched, globalization was the central international
concern. Protestors were laying siege to the World Bank, WTO and IMF
meetings around the world. Politicians were engaged in a debate concerning
the “Washington consensus” and the public was waking up
to concerns about social equity and environmental protection at unprecedented
levels. It was within this context that it was felt that a global
network of leaders drawn from government, civil society and business
would make a contribution to the ongoing debate by coming together
for cross sectoral dialogue and to work collaboratively on specific
issues of global import. STRATEGIC
PURPOSE The Commission served
as an incubator, catalyst and integrator for innovative leaders and
institutions working to bring greater equity, democracy and accountability
to globalization and global governance. GOALS
AND OBJECTIVES Global Leadership
Network: a diverse and committed network of innovative leaders
from around the world, serving in their personal capacities, and dedicated
to collaborative engagement in the constructive reform of the global
system; Work of the Commission:
projects convened under the leadership of one or more of the Co-Chairs
and Commissioners, designed through a multi-stakeholder process of
deliberation and dedicated to bringing about innovative solutions
to global challenges; Cross-Sectoral Deliberations:
the establishment of high-level, multi-stakeholder, consultative mechanisms,
in and through which senior decision-makers from civil society, government
and the corporate sector could debate, dialogue, and deliberate on
the critical challenges and opportunities central to the future of
globalization and its impact on human development; and Public Engagement: the solicitation and inclusion of public input into the deliberations of the Commission and the dissemination of the Commission’s findings and recommendations through its website, annual meetings and regional events, with the intent of promoting public discourse and comment, as well as more democratic decision-making on issues of critical importance. GLOBAL LEADERSHIP NETWORK AND ITS ANNUAL GATHERINGS The first priority was to establish a global network of leaders drawn from diverse constituencies. In the end, over two hundred such leaders agreed to participate in Commission activities as either Co-Chairs or Commissioners. The Commission was formally launched at the Inaugural Meeting of the Commission in London December 13-15, 2001, convened at the London Business School. A Joint Statement, signed by over 100 Co-Chairs and Commissioners, calling for the world community to take action to reconcile the contradictory tendencies inherent in globalization, was published in the global edition of the Financial Times on December 13, 2001. During the two-day gathering, 80 Co-Chairs and Commissioners, as well as a select group of invited guests, discussed the Commission’s strategy and purpose; substantive work and process; and management and governance. The Commission network met again for its Second Annual Meeting in Mexico City December 4-7, 2002. Over 150 Co-Chairs, Commissioners and specially invited guests participated and discussed issues including the war on terrorism and human rights, free trade and social equity, migration and the displacement of peoples, risk management in the global economy, and pathways to a sustainable civilization. In addition, Policy Action Group and Special Initiative leaders organized small-group roundtables, and provided special briefings for the conference. A full-day special session on Poverty and Globalisation, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, was organized on the opening day of the conference, which was followed by the opening dinner, sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton. A third gathering of the Commission network was hosted by the Foundation in Support of the Commission on Globalisation, an independent non profit organization established in Europe to cultivate greater European support for the Commission. The conference, "National Sovereignty - Universal Challenges:Choices for the World After Iraq", convened in Brussels, Belgium June 18-20, 2003, drew specialists from around the world and from conservative and liberal perspectives to examine the phenomenon of U.S. power; the deepening fissures in the transatlantic alliance; and what can be learned from the development of the European Union. WORK OF THE COMMISSION The Commission was
established to engage in “dialogue-and-action” as a single
integrated concept. The intent of the Commission was the constructive
engagement of individuals across sectors to think through the complexities
involved in the globalization process and the need for global governance;
and to recommend policy alternatives and work to implement changes
in the global system. The focus was on thought as well as action,
engaging in substantive debate as well as seeking concrete results. Out of this common concern and in the spirit of autonomy for all involved, the Co-Chairs and Commissioners engaged over the past four years, in a spectrum of activities. What naturally emerged was a “maturity mix” of projects ranging from those highly developed and sharply focused, to those that were exploratory in nature and which required time and effort to create critical mass. The Commission catalyzed, supported and/or assisted in the development of the following projects by various Co-Chairs and Commissioners: Ethical Globalization Initiative - with Co-Chair Mary Robinson, which resulted in a new organization and collaboration between the Aspen Institute, Columbia University and the International Council for Human Rights Policy to mainstrean the human rights agenda. G8 NePAD - with Commissioners Gordon Smith and Barry Carin, who worked within the context of the G8 and NePAD commitments on African development, and with the support of the Mott Foundation and the International Development Research Centre, to establish specific projects fulfilling the NePAD vision. Access - a partnership between Hewlett Packard, the Hewlett Foundation, Center for Global Development, Klaus Schwab Foundation, Medley Global Advisors and State of the World Forum, to develop ways to qualify NGO and CBO organizations and work for donors. Integral Governance Initiative - with Co-Chairs Lloyd Axworthy, Maria Cattaui, His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan Bin Talal and Surin Pitsuwan, among other Commissioners, to examine the “new operating reality” and how to more effectively develop global issue networks. International Interfaith Investment Group - with Commissioner Martin Palmer, developed in an active collaboration with Citigroup, the Mott Foundation, World Wildlife Fund, the Pilkington Trust, and major religious institutions to develop common socially and environmentally sensitive guidelines for religious institutional investment. International Water Security - with Co-Chair Lloyd Axworthy, in partnership with State of the World Forum and the Liu Center for Global Studies at the University of Vancouver, to develop greater community participation in decisions related to water distribution. Learning and Education - with Commissioners Paul Cappon and Helga Breuninger to formulate more effective educational and learning policies within the G8 commitments on education and the ongoing work of UNESCO. PULIC ENGAGEMENT Input into the deliberations of the Commission from the wider public was an important component of the Commission’s work and was solicited through regional, multi-stakeholder dialogues and annual meetings and through the Commission website. The distribution and dissemination of the Commission’s writings, findings and recommendations, including the Commission Final Report, were additional ways in which the network interacted. In an effort to engage regional civil society representatives, regional Community Building meetings were convened in 2001 and 2002 by State of the World Forum, which served as the Secretariat for the Commission. The meetings were funded by a grant from the Ford Foundation and included: Washington, DC - A meeting of about 50 individuals drawn from civil society, the World Bank and the United Nations was convened at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies on April 23 to discuss the Commission. The intent of the meeting was to solicit feedback and suggestions on how the Commission could best contribute to bridging the divide between the many voices in the globalization debate, and to proceed with establishing a common agenda that would foster a constructive spirit of dialogue and inquiry. Co-Chair Mikhail Gorbachev addressed the meeting along with John Sweeney, President of the AFL-CIO, and Co-Chair Lori Wallach, Director of Public Citizen Trade Watch. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - This meeting was convened on August 23rd at the premiere Brazilian think tank, the Vargas Institute, and drew over 50 representatives from the various sectors to discuss an increasing role for civil society in the globalization debate. The event also emphasized regional issues relevant to the Commission’s mandate and included leaders involved in the original World Social Forum meeting in 2001. Thais Corral, a member of the Commission and the REDEH organization, coordinated the meeting and the broader trip. The opportunity to learn more about the issues and concerns of the region through the experience of academics, NGO leaders, and activist organizations was compelling and provided significant value to the overall diversity of views within the Commission. Meetings were held with dozens of civil society leaders from Latin America, exploring local issues like privatization of water, the World Social Forum, and the Landless Worker’s Movement during this trip. Progress was made toward developing a strategy for future collaboration in Latin America and seven new Commissioners were identified during the visit. Budapest,
Hungary - State of the World Forum produced a one-day symposium
entitled, “September 11: Its Impact on the Effectiveness of Civil
Society's Engagement in Global Issues,” on Oct 17th at the Central
European University in Budapest. The debate was fresh, rich and surprisingly
frank. While there was general agreement that the September 11th events
had fundamentally changed part of the world’s psyche, the discussion
highlighted the differences in regional perceptions of the same event.
The lively debate spilled over into the main conference, “Reshaping
Globalisation: Multilateral Dialogues and New Policy Initiatives”
convened on Oct 17th – Oct 19th at the Central European University
in Budapest, and invigorated the more formal discussions over the
following two days. This conference was co-organized by the Central
European University and the University of Warwick. The strategic intent of all of these activities of the Commission was to build a global coalition of individuals and institutions committed to exercising democracy at the global level; work collaboratively to take actions that would shape globalization humanely; and refine the processes related to multi-stakeholder deliberations. GLOBAL LEADERSHIP NETWORK The Co-Chairs and Commissioners were a diverse and committed Global Leadership Network of innovative leaders from around the world, serving in their personal capacities, and dedicated to collaborative engagement in the constructive reform of the global system. Commissioners worked in highly diverse ways and in different domains, but remained united in the common effort to create a more humane future for humanity. By September
2004, the following confirmed their commitment to serve on the Council
of Co-Chairs: Surin
Pitsuwan As
of September 2004, the following confirmed their commitment to serve
on the Commission’s deliberative body as Commissioners:
Rebecca Adamson
Ladan Afrasiabi
Johannah Bernstein
Betty Bigombe
Helga Breuninger
Sharan Burrow Founder
and CEO, Venture Exchange Network
Gurcharan Das
Susan Davis
Dragoljub Najman
Prinn Panitchpakdi Simon Zadek ANNUAL COMMISSION MEETING REPORTS *COMMISSION
ON GLOBALISATION INAUGURAL CONFERENCE I. INTRODUCTION The
State of the World Forum Secretariat launched the formal activities
of the Commission on Globalisation at the London Business School December
13-15, 2001. More than eighty Co-Chairs and Commissioners attended
the two full days of wide ranging discussions on the strategy and
goals of the Commission; solid reports on the special projects and
Policy Action Groups which comprise the work of the Commission; energetic
business meetings in which a highly diverse and competent Steering
Committee was elected; and substantive dialogues after meals about
important global issues. "We the undersigned have come together to issue the following joint statement: Moral, economic and political imperatives mandate that the world community take action to reconcile the contradictory tendencies inherent in globalisation. The global challenges before us must be understood and solved in a more comprehensive manner. In the aftermath of September 11, it is clearly the responsibility of the world community to build a sustained coalition against terrorism. It is also our responsibility to build an equally enduring coalition dedicated to building a more peaceful and just world order. In this spirit, we have come together from around the world and across a spectrum of disciplines to establish a COMMISSION ON GLOBALISATION, which will convene at the London Business School December 13-15. The Commission is an international non-governmental network comprised of leaders from civil society, business, and government who believe that human security, economic prosperity and environmental stability must be developed in an integrated manner to ensure long term sustainability and for the benefits of globalisation to be enjoyed equitably throughout the world. Our goal is to convene leaders from all sectors to deliberate and take collaborative actions focused on the constructive reform of specific aspects of the globalisation process. Our recommendations will be presented to the member states of the United Nations. Under current
conditions, it is essential that those who might not normally consult
with one another, or even sit at the same table, come together and
share innovative thinking and best practices concerning the equitable
and democratic governance of the global system. Nothing less will
suffice to create the future to which we all aspire." CO-CHAIRS
COMMISSIONERS
|
