JEDDAH, 20 January 2004 — On the final day of the Jeddah Economic Forum, former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo examined the theme of globalization and growth by addressing the widening gap between the developed and developing countries.
Zedillo emphasized that “our polarized world” is in the state that it is because of barriers which hinder trade and investment. “It is very fashionable to say that the world is polarized because of globalization,” Zedillo said. “Globalization is not the problem; it is part, but not all, of the solution.”
Achieving development, Zedillo explained, involves a responsibility shared by “the rich and poor” to tackle the problem of poverty. The Millennium Summit of 2000 was an example of such a commitment, he added, and a millennium development vote in 2015 should produce the necessary means to achieve the goals.
“The primary responsibility of development lies with the developing countries themselves. Traditionally, rich countries have failed, but that’s only half the truth,” Zedillo said. “We poor countries have failed ourselves by not doing what it takes to lead our people out of poverty.”
Zedillo suggested that for a developing country to prosper, “good governments” should ensure the rule of law, freedom, and equality, so that all citizens can participate in various sectors of society.
“It’s the responsibility of developing countries to have a sound microeconomic basis, and to pursue fiscal and monetary responsibility... but if there’s no human capital then you are probably bound to fail. You should invest in your own people, through education, health and technology, and promoting gender equality,” Zedillo said.
As for the role of developed nations, Zedillo emphasized that they should make the world more secure through a stable geopolitical system.
As for reforming the education system, Zedillo explained that during his tenure as minister of education, the tight control of the central government over all educational affairs was damaging. “With a huge population as Mexico’s, it was absurd to have a federal government control every single school, so I proposed a plan to decentralize the control of the local government,” Zedillo said. By involving all local officials in this decision — so that no on felt threatened — Zedillo’s plan for reform worked. “Now we try to increase the budget for the educational system.”
Another successful plan was the “progressive program,” which provided parents with economic incentives on the condition to send their children to school as well as use the health services. “The program has been a dramatic success,” he said.
