[afro-nets] A Fair Globalization: Creating Opportunities for All

[Claudio Schuftan <aviva@netnam.vn>]

ILO Report: A Fair Globalization: Creating Opportunities for All
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The World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization
The International Labour Organization (ILO)
Geneva, 24 February 2004


The final report of the Commission is now available for download
at:
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/index.htm
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2004/7.htm

Press Release

Globalization can and must change, says a new, groundbreaking
report presented today to the International Labour Organization
(ILO) urging that building a fair and inclusive globalization
become a worldwide priority.

A Fair Globalization: Creating Opportunities for All calls for
an "urgent rethink" of current policies and institutions of
global governance. The report was issued by the World Commission
on the Social Dimension of Globalization (Note 1), which was co-
chaired by President Tarja Halonen of Finland and President Ben-
jamin William Mkapa of Tanzania.

The 168-page report acknowledges that globalization's "potential
for good is immense" and that it "has opened the door to many
benefits ... promoted open societies and open economies and en-
couraged a freer exchange of goods, ideas and knowledge ...
(and) a truly global conscience is beginning to emerge sensitive
to the inequities of poverty, gender discrimination, child la-
bour and environmental degradation, wherever these may occur".

Nevertheless, it says, "There are deep-seated and persistent im-
balances in the current workings of the global economy, which
are ethically unacceptable and politically unsustainable... Seen
through the eyes of the vast majority of men and women, global-
ization has not met their simple and legitimate aspirations for
decent jobs and a better future for their children".

"There is growing concern about the direction globalization is
currently taking", says the report. "Its advantages are too dis-
tant for too many, while its risks are all too real. Corruption
is widespread. Open societies are threatened by global terror-
ism, and the future of open markets is increasingly in question.
Global governance is in crisis. We are at a critical juncture,
and we need to urgently rethink our current policies and insti-
tutions."

Juan Somavia, Director-General of the ILO, who originally pro-
posed the Commission, said this was the first time there had
been a systematic attempt to deal with the social dimension of
globalization. He added that the Commission was convened by the
ILO to search for common ground and make proposals on issues
which are today the subject of "parallel monologues" and a "dia-
logue of the deaf". "This Commission provides a clear-eyed, com-
mon sense message of hope. Making globalization fair and inclu-
sive is difficult but do-able, and is an urgent worldwide prior-
ity", he said.

Preface by Co-Chairs (41 kB PDF):
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/preface.pdf

SYNOPSIS

Synopsis (English) (88 kB PDF):
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/synope.pdf

Synopsis (French) (31 kB PDF):
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/synopf.pdf

Synopsis (Spanish) (106 kB PDF):
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/synops.pdf

Synopsis (Chinese) -available soon

Synopsis (Arabic) (165 kB PDF):
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/synopa.pdf

Synopsis (Russian) -available soon

Synopsis (German) (139 kB PDF):
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/synopg.pdf



FULL REPORT - A FAIR GLOBALIZATION - Creating opportunities for
all

Contents, Abbreviations (96 kB PDF):
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/contents.pdf

Part I: Globalization for people (114 kB PDF):
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/rep1.pdf

Part II: Globalization and its impact (582 kB PDF):
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/rep2.pdf

Part III: The governance of globalization (855 kB PDF):
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/rep3.pdf

Part IV: Mobilizing action for change (125 kB PDF):
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/rep4.pdf

Annex 1,2,3, Index, Figures (312 kB PDF):
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/rep5.pdf