Kufuor addresses Progressive Governance summit

From Kwaku Osei Bonsu, GNA Special Correspondent

London, April 5, 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. 5 April 08