MARY ROBINSON: "WE SHOULD MOVE TOWARDS MORE ETHICAL GLOBALISATION"
Prince of Asturias Award Laureate for Social Sciences Mary Robinson called yesterday for an alternative to the type of economic globalisation that has been imposed upon us, adding that we should move towards a more ethic-based globalisation that included fairer and more equitable institutions.
In the course of a press conference at the Reconquista Hotel, the prestigious Irish jurist stated that the prevailing model of globalisation had served as an incentive to help countries like India and China, which are undergoing major growth and are coming out of poverty. However, she bemoaned the fate of 54 countries where the phenomenon of worldwide economic dependency had meant that they had slipped back and become even more economically disadvantaged in their relations with the developed countries. The former President of Ireland went on to criticise the rich countries for not placing the foundations of fair trade to enable Africa to sell its farm produce in Europe and the United States, each of which maintains high-level subsidies for this industrial sector. Mary Robinson expressed the view that the so-called Washington Consensus - an initiative to export liberal formulas to poor and developing countries - was a major mistake, as it imposed an ideology that tended to curb government control and encourage privatization in the belief that market forces would be more effective. The opposite happened in Africa; health and education systems which were already fragile were weakened even further and efforts are now being made to recover systems that are of enormous importance to economic development. Robinson feels that the world needs fair, equitable institutions such as a broader United Nations, Security Council, a World Trade Organisation that should stop its bias towards rich countries, and an International Monetary Fund that has already started to implement change but needs to go much further. Mrs. Robinson then spoke about her award, pointing out that it is the first in the field of Social Sciences to be given to a woman since 1981. She stated that her belief was that it would contribute to building up stronger links with Spain, where one of her children lived and which she visits frequently as vice-president of the Club of Madrid. During the speech she also pointed out how she had followed modern Spain with great admiration since her first state visit as President of Ireland, observing how, like Ireland, it had confronted such challenges as integration of immigrants following a history marked by population flow in the opposite direction. Speaking on the same subject, she explained that high levels of emigration had always been a hallmark of both countries, but they were now moving in the opposite direction, welcoming people from places where living conditions were precarious and complicated. She expressed her opinion that the situation should by handled within the framework of the Charter of Human Rights, as fairness was needed with people who cannot live in their countries of origin. The former President of Ireland and United Nations, High Commissioner for Human Rights also touched upon the Alliance of Civilizations being promoted by the President of the Spanish government, José Luis Zapatero, which she defined as a necessity to put an end to confrontation and seek points in common between people and cultures. Mrs. Robinson announced that the Club of Madrid that she is vice-president of is holding talks and negotiating to hold a Summit in 2008.
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