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At Progressive Governance Summit, President Kufuor
promotes inclusive globalisation
From Kwaku Osei Bonsu, GNA Special Correspondent
London, April 5, Ghanadot/GNA - United by a common goal of
promoting a more inclusive globalisation that would ensure
prosperity for both developed and developing countries,
about 20 World Leaders on Saturday gathered in Watford,
London, for a two-day Progressive Governance Summit.
On the agenda were issues relating to trade; poverty and
development; reform of international institutions and
climate change.
President John Agyekum Kufuor; Italian Prime Minister Romano
Prodi; Mr Kevin Ruud, Prime Minister of Australia; South
African President Thabo Mbeki; the Prime Minister of New
Zealand, Helen Clark; Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf;
Chilean President Bachelet Michelle and Mr Robert Fico,
Prime Minister of Slovakia were among those who attended.
Also present was former United States (US) President Bill
Clinton as well as representatives of international
organisations including, United Nations (UN); International
Monetary Fund (IMF); World Bank; European Union and the
African Development Bank.
Addressing the opening session, President Kufuor noted that
the "global village" was now a reality and for that matter
it was important to apply standardised values to all.
Progressive alliance or governance, he said, should,
therefore, encompass all known blocs like Africa; China;
India; Middle East and Russia on the one hand and the
Western World, which controlled so much financial power, on
the other hand.
"It should aim at bringing on board the forces that have the
financial clout to make things move smoothly. It must look
at the constituents that would make for a more humane global
village and the time is now."
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, said the summit was
coming at a time when people around the world were concerned
not only about global economic uncertainty but at a time of
growing recognition that solutions to international problems
required a new co-operation.
"We now have to reshape global rules and global institutions
to meet the challenges of this era."
He said institutions such as the World Bank and the UN had
to be reformed to tackle the double threat of economic
turmoil and climate change.
"This is a unique historical opportunity to come together to
discuss global economic challenges, combat poverty, the
threat to our security and meet economic challenges of
globalisation. We need a new effort to tackle poverty."
Former President Clinton initiated the Idea of Progressive
Governance in 1999 when he hosted and led a roundtable in
Washington with the participation of Prime Minister Tony
Blair of Britain; German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Dutch
Prime Minister Win Kok and Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'
Aleme.
The initial goal was to enhance cooperation between key
policymakers as well as academics and provide meeting place
for exchanging concrete policies and practices.
President Kufuor leaves London for New Delhi, India, on
Sunday to attend the Indo-Africa Summit.
GNA
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