Global challenges require policies agreed through democratic consultation

The consequences of failing to take account of how globalisation affects countries in different ways can be seen in the current economic crisis, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Ransford Smith has said.

Speaking ahead of the G20 meeting on 2 April 2009 where world leaders will gather in London, he noted that in this financial recession “attention is focused almost exclusively on the economic plight of major players – themselves the cause of the global downturn – although developing countries, and most prominently the smallest and poorest, will be very seriously affected.”

Mr Smith was speaking at the 2009 Global Citizenship Lectures at University College London (UCL) on 31 March, organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the host university.

The evening was chaired by Simon Robinson, Senior Editor for Time Magazine in London, and the other speaker was Orazio Attanasio, from the UCL/Institute for Fiscal Studies Centre for the Evaluation of Development Policies.

During his presentation the Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General said that many interrelated and interdependent forces are reshaping the development landscape: globalisation, climate change, urbanisation, the revolution in information and communication technology, and the rising demand for political freedoms and human rights.

The fundamental principles of good governance such as transparency, accountability, predictability, responsiveness, fairness and inclusiveness are the pillars on which this development landscape must be built, he said, adding that the time is now ripe with the collapse of the financial institutions in the Western world suggesting that there is a greater willingness for state engagement and regulation.

Mr Smith went on to examine development policies and their implications in an increasingly integrated world. Arguing that the implementation of a policy is as important as the policy itself, he outlined four key elements for consideration.

“No single policy measure or approach will yield the desired result,” he observed. “A coherent and integrated policy framework is required, accompanied by co-ordination among all actors and institutions across the range of policies to be implemented.”

The second point he raised is for policy-makers to treat policies and their implementation as an ongoing learning process based on targets, milestones, monitoring and evaluation.

Thirdly, Mr Smith stated that governments must play a vital role in steering and intervening in order to ensure that development goals are achieved. “Development requires active involvement of communities, the private sector, civil society and the government,” he explained. “Government through incentives, regulations and long-term planning, should ensure sustained collaboration between all parties.”

Finally, the Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General said that the formulation of policies should be constructed in a democratic manner. At national level this would involve participation from citizens. Their inclusion will increase the relevance of a policy and ensure the process is more transparent. The same principles apply on an international stage, he argued.

“Tackling shared global challenges requires policies (and institutions) derived through consultation and in a manner consistent with democratic values that give small and big countries alike a voice in how their future is determined,” he stated.

“It is anomalous to envisage that these principles should be promoted and applied at the national level, but ignored at the global level.”

Click here for the full text of Mr Smith’s speech

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