An opportunity and a challenge” “

The participation of the poor countries in international trade is the presupposition to ensure solidarity in globalization: so says a document put out at the end of a meeting of the executive committee of COMECE, the Commission of the episcopates of the European Community, held in Brussels on 30 September. In October 2001, the COMECE work group on “Global Governance” had published a report with the title “Global Governance: our responsibility to make globalization an opportunity for everyone” (cf. SirEurope no.4 of 25 October 2001). The work group that drew up the report is chaired by Michel Camdessus, former director of the International Monetary Fund, and is composed of representatives from the academic world, from the Church and from the international organizations. The report was submitted to representatives of the NGOs and Church organizations . The document presented in Brussels in recent days is an update, written in the light of the observations received and the international meetings held over the past year. The analysis of the international situation. “A year after the terrorist attacks on the United States – says the introduction to the report – a widespread feeling of uncertainty persists in the world, and the campaign being waged by the USA against international terrorism continues to dominate the international political agenda. Nonetheless, the shock of 11 September did not lead to the emergence of the globalization process that had been predicted. On the contrary, it emphasized the challenge of turning it into an opportunity for everyone”. The report of the COMECE work group reviews the most important international events of the past year: from the summit of the G8 at Kananakis to the world summit in Johannesburg. With regard to the latter, the experts propose the establishment of a world organization for the environment. The role of the financial institutions and the World Bank. Some observations made to the bishops concerned the role of the international financial institutions and the World Bank. Some have said that these organizations are “responsible for the state of poverty in the world”. But in the view of the experts of the European episcopate, they are “cornerstones of any system of Global Governance”, and need to be “strengthened rather than weakened”, because they ensure the participation of the poorer countries in the world system. Others criticized the report of 2001 because it placed “too much emphasis on trade”. “It is beyond doubt – replies COMECE – that the developing countries are faced by a series of difficult challenges, not least “insufficient institutional capacity”. “But for these countries – the experts observe – there is no other option than favouring their participation in the international economy, if we really want to accelerate their economic development”. The role of the NGOs. The COMECE work group emphasizes once again that the NGOs “ought not to play a direct role in the decisions and in the formal control of the executive bodies”. The observation is aimed at responding to those who had criticized the COMECE document for having “taken into scarce consideration the role of international civil society, and in particular that of the NGOs”. “We think – write the experts – that it is important to further the discussion on the specific role of the NGOs and to explore effective ways of ensuring that their voice be heard at the institutional level”. They propose “a system of accreditation for the NGOs” that would give them the chance of playing a “consultative” role”. The appeal of the Churches. The documents ends with an appeal. “We would like – write the COMECE experts – to encourage the bishops of Europe and the world to play a more active part in the debate on global governance”. The 40th anniversary of the encyclical “Pacem in Terris” to be celebrated in 2003 may represent “a good opportunity for the Church and her members to participate more in these important debates of our time, act in accordance with their vocation and promote the fundamental unity of the human family”. Maria Chiara Biagioni