EU Advocacy » Y 2000 Declaration » Globalisation
Millennium Declaration:
Our vision on GLOBALISATION
Globalisation of the economy should be a beneficial process for every company and citizen in all parts of the world.
The key issue facing organisations involved in the process is probably the creation of a true global level playing field where small businesses from all nations would be able to grow. Small businesses are natural reservoirs for economic growth, employment and all other forms of economic occupation capable of raising the standard of living even in the most remote or less developed areas of the globe.
A “positive” globalisation will be possible through a transparent governance of the process at international level in economic areas ( for example; EC, NAFTA and others) and in each nation, so as to maximise economic and social progress at global level. The principle of subsidiarity should be applied from the local to the global level.
This governance will have to resist two major developing concerns: 1) the development of financial markets and activities based upon concepts and practices that are against true and sustainable economic and social progress. 2) the development of a black economies worldwide, which do not respect any rules or have any ethic, and that spread very quickly with new information technologies. Obviously the governance should also progress for the development of an adequate and shared approach to the management of natural resources.
Learning from the past
Past and current approaches to globalisation are dogmatic and do not help to make progress. New forms of democratic debate searching consensus should be launched. Globalisation will continue to fail if this process remains in the hand of a few large economic organisations and decided upon by only a few decision-makers without the involvement of the civil society and a real democratic control of the decision-making processes.
Globalisation will succeed if it is made simpler for all enterprises to trade easily with the rest of the world. Too many burdens (customs and technical red tape, financial transfers, etc.) do prevent small businesses from competing in the global arena. Only large companies staffed to overcome this complexity have chance to compete.
Key-policy recommendations
- Increase awareness of the importance of «Trade Facilitation Measures» for small businesses in international trade negotiations and ensure that ambitious goals are set up
- Increase efforts to simplify international payment systems. Notably, ensure that banks charges for international transfers are not falling disproportionately on small businesses
- Establish a international code of conduct for inter-trading between small business entrepreneurs at a global level.
Page last updated: 31/08/2001 10:48:39 AM