Mercy Global Concern - 2005

Mercy Global Concern: Briefing Paper Number 2, November 2005

Is a fairer globalization possible?

Today’s globalization is one of stark contrasts. There are more connections – markets, people and ideas are linked as never before. At the same time, there are more divisions – between North and South, between rich and poor, between the powerful and powerless.

These divides can be seen in statistics. At a time of unparalleled prosperity for some, 54 countries are poorer now than they were a decade ago. In 14 countries, more children are dying before their fifth birthday. In 21 countries, more people are going hungry. In 34 countries, life expectancy has fallen. Worldwide, the number of people living in chronic poverty and daily insecurity has not changed for more than ten years, with women and children suffering disprotionately.

No one will deny any longer than turmoil in one region can spread rapidly to others, through terrorism, armed conflict, environmental degradation or disease as demonstrated by the rapid spread of AIDS around the globe in a single generation.

While the connection are evident, we seem further apart in finding ways to tackle global problems in a coordinated way where the burdens and responsibilities are shared.

Today the world's population is even more sharply divided between those who hold power and wealth and those who do not. What is needed to address these challenges more effectively?

First a more holistic sense of globalization that embraces not only questions of economic efficiency but also commitments to social justice and sustainable development. A more people centered notion of globalization is required which not only reflects the voices around the world who are currently marginalized and excluded from decisions that effect them.

The human rights approach:

A new approach to addressing the current divides in our world must be based on a framework of shared values which promotes the common good and which includes the participation of those who have been marginalized by global changes. The international agenda articulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights more than half a century ago encompassed a vision of human rights that embraced economic social and cultural rights alongside political and civil liberties.

Every country had ratified at least one, and the majority have ratified most of the core international human rights treaties which flowed from the Universal Declaration. At the Millennium Assembly in September 2000, the largest gathering ever of heads of state and government resolved to respect fully and uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and committed to implementing a set of specific development targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

An opportunity exists now to make this shared agenda central to addressing the challenges of globalization.

Ethical globalization requires greater recognition of the responsibility of the international community to help those who have been denied their fundamental rights. This requires taking human rights beyond their more traditional political and legal realms and applying them to other fields particularly development and economics. Article 29 of the Universal Declaration states clearly that everyone owes duties to the community without which you cannot realize your full potential.

A growing number of initiatives aim to promote the notion of shared responsibility for the challenges of an increasingly interconnected world. These include the UN Millennium Development Goals, the Commission on Human Security, the ILO Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, the Helsinki Process on Globalization and Democracy, the Global Commission on International Migration and the UN Global Impact.

Despite many positive initiatives, it is a matter of profound urgency for a catalyst to bring key stakeholders together to dialogue to advance shared goals, to mobilize new alliances for joint action and to accelerate efforts to integrate human rights commitments and systems of enhanced accountability into efforts to address global challenges.

While development and poverty alleviation is primary responsibility of each country towards its own people, in an interconnected world, there must be greater acknowledgement of shared responsibilities for realizing the fundamental rights of all. In particular , the reform of key agricultural trade policies of developed countries is central to any strategy to alleviate poverty in the world's poorest countries. The World Trade Organization Doha Development Round is particularly important in that it offers the opportunity for impoverished countries to be brought more fully into global trading system through a single set of multilateral agreements, in place of the complex set of partnerships and preferential trade agreements that often compound difficulties in developing efficient trading policies and investments.

Specifically, the G-8 countries should:

1. Commit to immediate steps to eliminate export subsidies on cotton and sugar and to an early end to export subsidies and all other trade-distorting support to agriculture.
   
2. Commit to the adoption of policies which sharply reduce non- market incentives for domestic production of sugar and which lead to an increase in imports from the poorest countries at remunerative prices.
   
3. Support the West Africa cotton initiative at the WTO and press for a solution to the cotton-dumping issues before the Hong Kong Ministerial.
   
4. Immediately extend quota and duty free access to all exports from low income sub-Saharan African countries, simplify and relax rules- of-origin requirements and make these steps consistent among major trading partners.
   
5. Agree to reduce and eliminate by 2015, all non-tariff barriers to the export of African products.
   
6. Enable African countries to reduce their own trade barriers, both within Africa and internationally, at a pace based upon development circumstances in each country and in line with poverty reduction strategies. Related to this, African countries should be supported to take steps to encourage private investment both domestic and international, in ways that bolster poverty reduction efforts.
   
7. Agree to provide, while reducing the subsidy and other barriers to developing countries, assistance to enhance their competiveness and efficiency, including trade adjustment aid for displaced sectors, improved infrastructure, agricultural research and trade facilitation.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Mary Robinson address: reported by Deirdre Mullan rsm