Inequalities, environment at centre of tensions worldwide

FE Report
Rising inequalities and degradation of the environment are the two rogues at the root of tensions and conflicts in the present-day world, according to global-trade expert Pascal Lamy.
"Two biggest issues of today's world that are yet to be addressed is the rise in inequalities and degradation of environment," the former head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) said at a function in Dhaka Saturday.
Mr Lamy, now in Bangladesh as Special Envoy of the French Government, drew the battle lines for the nations at a public lecture arranged by Bangladesh's leading think-tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
"While the issue of inequality can be addressed locally or at the national level, the issue of environment cannot be addressed without collective global effort," he said about the strategies of the common fight to achieve a secure planet for humankind.
He is here to spearhead a campaign for the French bid to host the World Expo 2025, the theme for which Paris has proposed as 'Sharing our Knowledge, Caring for Our Planet'.
"Issues related to protection of environment, oceans or biodiversity are such that they cannot be done on a single-nation basis," Mr Lamy told his Dhaka audience while explaining the proposed theme for the world exposition.
Asked about possible implications of the recent US move to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, the French special emissary observed that although the gesture is a bit worrying, it should not jeopardize the whole initiative.
"This is because addressing climate change is no more in the hands of the governments alone. Now, we operate with a diverse set of actors."
Pascal Lamy, who had overseen the global trade regime as Director-General of the WTO for two terms, also observed that the major concern for the world-trade body in the near future should be the protection of consumers.
"While a few decades ago, the main focus of WTO was centered on the producers, the focus would be shifted to the protection of consumers in the near future," he said-thereby underlining the concept of welfare economy with a human face.
The former WTO chief also observed that domestic policies can play a big part in ensuring that open trade benefits all.
"The benefits of open trade depend on a number of conditions- some of which deal with global trade regime. But most of the issues related to ensuring open-trade benefits lies with domestic policies," he added.
Chairman of the Centre for Policy Dialogue Professor Rehman Sobhan, Distinguished Fellow Professor Mustafizur Rahman and Executive Director Fahmida Khatun also spoke on the occasion.
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