PM on inequities in the global system

:New Delhi, Dec 18: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today lashed out at the industrialised countries for double speak -- pursuing restrictive policies relating to immigration and the movement of labour, while seeking a "borderless world" for the flow of capital.

"Globalisation in an increasingly multipolar world requires global rules of the game, not just for trade and capital flows, but for the management of the environment and of resource use," Dr Manmohan Singh said in his address at a seminar on 'Making Globalisation Work.' The Prime Minister dwelt at length on how globalisation was being used as a weapon by the industrialised world against the interests of the developing countries and made out a case for greater attention to the politics of globalisation and its political management.

''Just as Nation States are unable to command the forces of economic globalisation, they are also proving ineffective in dealing with the social, cultural, political and environmental aspects of globalisation. Be it HIV Aids or Avian Flu, be it global warming or terrorism, governments find themselves constrained in dealing with these "cross border" threats. When such threats emnate from non-state actors, governments are even less equipped to deal with them," Dr Manmohan Singh said.

The theme of the seminar is the title of the the latest book of Nobel laurete Joseph Stigletz, who was also on the dias. One of the world's best known economist, Prof Stigletz's book is a critique of globalisation in the manner in which it was being carried out. He argues for the reform of the global institutions, such as the United Nations, World Bank, and the IMF, and for treating the developing cuntries more fairly not just on moral grounds, but to benefit the industrialsied world itself.

The day-long event has been jointly organised by the Shri Ram Centre for Industrialised Relations and Human Resources and FICCI.

It was a meeting of Economists-- with the Prime Minister being flanked by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen and Lord Meghnad Desai on the other.

Introducing the subject, FICCI President Saroj Poddar described the meeting as a landmark event, where four of the best minds in economics had come on one platform to debate a topic of critical importance to the future of mankind.

Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath was among the luminaries who intervened in the debate.

Others seated on the dias included Dr Maxine Olson, Resident Representative, UNDP,India; Mr Rachid Benmessaoud, Acting Director-India, World Bank; Mr Rolf Suezler, Country Director, German Technical Co-operation (GTZ); and Dr Vinay Bharat Ram and Prof J S Sodhi, Chairman and Director respectively of the Shri Ram Centre.

UNI