Pp22 8084RISCHARD266031013 AmPage 80New Global Agenda
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Page 80
New Global Agenda – Jean-Francois Rischard
Jean-Francois
Rischard
There is little doubt that the international community is living through some truly momentous times. Our capacity to tackle a variety of complicated social and economic problems is greater at the turn of the new century than has been the case at anytime during the last few centuries. Technological development, economic prosperity and cultural evolution, all characteristics of globalization, have sharpened our ability to resolve many of the social evils that still exist.
Poverty and the wealth gap within and between countries continue to grow and unless we act decisively by 2020 the number of people living on less than two dollars a day may well increase substantially beyond three billion.
Protecting the environment is a further dilemma as we pursue greater economic wealth for developed and developing countries. A number of other serious issues, such as global pandemics, drugs trafficking and people smuggling continue to pose new difficulties for governments across the world.
Urgent Global Problems,
New Global Solutions
How the world deals with these global challenges over the coming two decades, not the next half-century will determine the planet’s fate for generations. However, though we have the capacity and potential to tackle the most serious international problems, our ability to do so is hampered by the tools we use to tackle the dilemmas facing the global community. In their current form, our traditional institutions are not capable of addressing the many serious issues facing the global community today. A more intelligent alliance between public institutions, private bodies and civil society is needed.
Global problems
Identifying the correct tools to fit the problem is key, but a first step is to identify and understand what are the most pressing issues and which of these are global.
If we see these issues as global then it follows, in an
26/6/03
10:13 am
Page 80
New Global Agenda – Jean-Francois Rischard
Jean-Francois
Rischard
There is little doubt that the international community is living through some truly momentous times. Our capacity to tackle a variety of complicated social and economic problems is greater at the turn of the new century than has been the case at anytime during the last few centuries. Technological development, economic prosperity and cultural evolution, all characteristics of globalization, have sharpened our ability to resolve many of the social evils that still exist.
Poverty and the wealth gap within and between countries continue to grow and unless we act decisively by 2020 the number of people living on less than two dollars a day may well increase substantially beyond three billion.
Protecting the environment is a further dilemma as we pursue greater economic wealth for developed and developing countries. A number of other serious issues, such as global pandemics, drugs trafficking and people smuggling continue to pose new difficulties for governments across the world.
Urgent Global Problems,
New Global Solutions
How the world deals with these global challenges over the coming two decades, not the next half-century will determine the planet’s fate for generations. However, though we have the capacity and potential to tackle the most serious international problems, our ability to do so is hampered by the tools we use to tackle the dilemmas facing the global community. In their current form, our traditional institutions are not capable of addressing the many serious issues facing the global community today. A more intelligent alliance between public institutions, private bodies and civil society is needed.
Global problems
Identifying the correct tools to fit the problem is key, but a first step is to identify and understand what are the most pressing issues and which of these are global.
If we see these issues as global then it follows, in an