Globalisation cannot be equated with only powerful economies: Deve Gowda

Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Monday asked the Non-Aligned Movement to remain steadfast in opposing global trade restrictions and called for accelerating the nuclear disarmament process and democratising the United Nations.

"Globalisation cannot be equated with the interests of only powerful economies and corporations. To be meaningful, it must be accompanied by the empowerment of all economies,'' Deve Gowda said, inaugurating the two day Non-Aligned Movement ministerial conference in New Delhi.

NAM, he said, should hold to their just perspectives, whether it be obligations to investors, extra-territorial application of domestic laws or environment-linked conditionalities.

''NAM must continue to exert full moral pressure and generate public opinion towards a nuclear weapons convention, as agreed to in the last summit,'' Deve Gowda said, "It must lend dedicated and unwavering support to achieve nuclear disarmament."

On reforming the UN, the prime minister said the international order today was in a greater need of democratisation than ever before. ''The reforms must reflect the concerns and needs of the developing world," he said, "Greater democratisation would mean that the destiny of the world is not determined by the action of a few.''

NAM, Deve Gowda continued, is a symbol of the sharing and unifying impulse which has brought together the diversity of humankind. There is no room for narrow and destructive ideologies here, he said.

The NAM countries was on the threshold of rapid development. ''As we pursue our national economic policies, we have to ensure that the external economic environment is conducive to growth and to mutually beneficial cooperation,'' he said.

The NAM, Deve Gowda continued, represented the world's largest collective voice for freedom and peace. ''It has worked for the benefit of all nations, big and small, rich and poor. It advocates co-operation and not confrontation, and respects the diversity of cultures and faiths," he said, calling upon member countries to ensure a manifold increase in economic and technical co-operation among themselves

Foreign ministers from over 75 countries are attending the conference.

UNI