Symposium
gIn
Pursuit of an Inclusive Global Community
—A Fair
Globalization in a Turbulent Worldh
5F
Elizabeth Rose Conference Hall, United
(in cooperation with ILO)
Kazuo
Takahashi
Summing
Up
It
has been a good and wide-ranging discussion, both informative and
analytical. A number of excellent
conceptual points have been made, and some specific questions have been looked
into in some depth. A few creative
discussions have also been presented.
From well over thirty excellent points that have been made, according to
my notes, the following are, I think, the broadly supported and useful points.
1.
The
Report, A Fair Globalization: Creating Opportunities for All, is a
beginning of the dialogue among various stakeholders and specialists as well as
among citizens around the world. It
is not the end. There has been a
broad support of the main thrust of the Report.
2.
The
analysis of the globalization phenomenon, related to national situations, to
fair rules and policies and to the global governance, including the roles of
the UN system has largely been supported.
3.
The
background to the creation of the World Commission, consisting of ILOfs historical works, the Copenhagen Social Summit in
1995, and the discussions at the UN itself including the Millennium Summit in
2000, indicates the broad trend along which the relevant issues have been
identified. The co-chairship of two sitting national Presidents has given
programmatic orientation to the Report.
The discussions of globalization that had been conducted in different
silos have been given a common forum in the World Commission and its outcome,
in turn, has given the world community a common ground where further
discussions will be pursued.
4.
The
common perception is that it is important to pursue economic objectives and
social objectives in parallel with each other. These two objectives, which
traditionally were perceived to consist of trade-offs, can in fact complement
each other. Nationally, the efforts
to harmonize between the two have been institutionalized, but at the international
level, there is no mechanism that is to pursue coherence between the two.
5.
It
is important to distinguish between drivers of globalization and global
responses to these drivers.
Following have been identified as drivers: business; various actors around
the world taking initiatives in their own ways in promoting globalization; new
technology; end of ideology, acceptance of competition as a ground rule in each
society.
6.
It
has been pointed out that the whole process has to be value-oriented,
including, human rights, fairness, solidarity, environmental considerations,
equity, and respect of diversity.
1.
Enterprises
are public entities, with public responsibilities in satisfying the needs of
multiple stakeholders, that is, not only stockholders. The tradition of Japanese firms can
provide a useful model for this purpose.
2.
Large
corporations have special responsibilities in spreading CSR to small and medium
sized enterprises and to subsidiaries overseas.
3.
It
has, however, been pointed out that a number of new activities that need to be
pursued by international organizations, have not been supported by financial
commitments by governments that have expressed agreement to the Report.
4.
It
has also been pointed out that it is impossible to stop the powerful trend of
globalization, and therefore that it is important to consider measure to
enhance its positive impacts, while minimizing negative effects.
5.
The
sub-title of the report that refers to gopportunitiesh might be
misleading. The content of the Report
emphasizes the importance of the outcome of the proposed measures rather than
opportunities for choices.
6.
Gender
equality at the management level in Japanese corporations has been identified
as an important component of CSR.
7.
It
has been pointed out that this Report should be read in the broader context
where other reports have been produced recently, including the Cardoso Report which deals with Civil Society. Global Civil Society should be an
important force to achieve a Fair Globalization, and indeed may lead the
movement of an alternative globalization.
8.
It
has been pointed out that UNU can play useful roles in global efforts to pursue
coherent policy combinations to address the broader questions of the Social
Dimension of Globalization, going beyond what the Report has dealt with,
including education, health, culture, among others.
9.
It
has proven, through todayfs exercise that it is extremely important and useful
to pursue dialogues among various stakeholders and experts concentrating on
various aspects of the social dimension of globalization.
10.
We
all agree, I believe, that all the presenters and commentators, in particular,
Dr. Rolph van der Hoeven have contributed greatly to our better understanding
of the knotty questions of the Social Dimension of Globalization.