You are here

A call to re-globalise

Apr 28,2020 - Last updated at Apr 28,2020

Shedding light on the gaps in the prevalent world order exposed by the coronavirus pandemic, His Majesty King Abdullah, in an op-ed published in The Washington Post, reminded of the urgent need to benefit from a “re-globalisation”.

 

At a time when world nations are preoccupied with the pandemic emergency, voices are growing louder in some corners with calls to reassess the merits and demerits of an interconnected world, a by-product of rising nationalism and protectionism.

 

His Majesty’s words carry enormous weight.

 

“…There is no denying that this border-blind enemy appeared just when the term ‘de-globalisation’ was entering our lexicon — thanks to the rise of nationalism, protectionism and general scepticism about cross-border cooperation of all kinds,” His Majesty wrote.

 

No doubt, the pandemic has exposed one of the vulnerabilities of globalisation: A failure to reflect the rapid growth of markets in social development, standards of living, eradication of poverty, equality and sustainable growth.

 

“This crisis has thrown a harsh light on the gaps in our global order — gaps caused by social injustice, income inequality, poverty and misgovernance,” the King wrote.

 

However, it is uncalled-for to fully denounce globalisation. To take a leaf from His Majesty’s article, the crisis offers an opportunity to forge a better version of globalisation.

 

“Instead of ‘de-globalisation’ — as some are advocating — I see us all benefiting from a ‘re-globalisation’.... A re-globalisation that strengthens and builds capacities within our countries and ushers in true cooperation rather than competition. A re-globalisation that recognises that a single country, acting alone, cannot succeed. One country’s failure is every country’s failure,” His Majesty wrote.

 

“That means recalibrating our world and its systems.... We need to create and sustain new organisations that draw on the skills and resources of different sectors, across national boundaries.”

 

King Abdullah affirmed that Jordan is ready to build on its experience with the Aqaba Process — a series of international meetings launched by His Majesty in 2015 to bolster international security and cooperation to counter terrorism — to help in “any way it can”.

 

While keeping abreast of government measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus on the home front, His Majesty has been consistently calling for united efforts on an international scale to contain and counter the pandemic.

 

The outbreak should serve as a wake-up call to restructure the current world order, into one that is inclusive. A divided world cannot face a pandemic of mammoth magnitude — better to face it as one community.

 

Advancements in technology, economic growth and developments in healthcare that have sprung from a globalised system can be put to good use in a re-globalised world.

 

His Majesty aptly wrote: “Covid-19 is a threat that confronts every leader. But if we wish to defeat it, we must do what seems counterintuitive: Put politics and popularity aside. We must also do the exact opposite of what the doctor ordered: Come together and get to work. To face this single threat, we must have singular focus — the survival and well-being of human lives everywhere.”

 

The words of a statesman ring especially true in a tumultuous time like the present. It is time for nations to come together in answer to this call, and fashion a new order that serves all of humanity.

up
129 users have voted.


Newsletter

Get top stories and blog posts emailed to you each day.

PDF