Business leaders have a potential role at UN

Lung-chu Chen

Globalization has pushed governments toward mutual interdependence. Because of the close interaction within this framework of interdependence, environmental destruction, climate change and energy shortages resulting from overdevelopment, as well as the explosion of terrorist activity and armed conflicts, have all developed beyond the scope of what any one nation can deal with. These crises have become the concerns of the international community as a whole.

The spirit of global governance can make up for the lack of a single country with the power to solve global problems, by meeting such challenges through international cooperation on both the public and private levels.

The UN can act as a platform for mediation and communication by gathering academics and experts to increase its efficiency and consolidate the capacity for cooperation to solve global issues. To this end, the UN will include among its reform goals the implemenation of global governance and deepening of cooperative partnerships between the UN and civil society.

In July 2000, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan advocated the creation of a global contract to integrate UN organizations, businesses and labor and civic organizations into a channel for cooperation. The aim was to make human-rights protection, basic labor rights and sustainable environmental development a corporate development goal.

Judging from the UN's move to initiate this global compact, future developments will include private enterprises participating in UN affairs. International relations used to be seen as the domain of governments. In future, Taiwanese businesspeople will be able to make many contributions to both Taiwan and the international community.

Taiwanese businesspeople operating around the world must possess the ability to engage in international trade and corporate management, and also understand the concept of international participation. If those possessing an international vision could be included in the UN's Global Compact initiative and thereby build good relations with people and countries worldwide, they could play an important role in expanding the nation's influence and promote Taiwanese participation in the international community.

Chen Lung-chu is chairman of the New Century Foundation and the director of the Taiwan United Nations Alliance.