Inter-Global cooperation happens on many levels—political, economic, religious—and takes different forms. The United Nations, with its worldwide activities and networks, helps to bring people and nations together.
One UN program, called the Global Compact, encourages businesses to voluntarily support human rights and ethical practices, whether they are operating in Thailand or Madagascar, in India or the United States. Georg Kell, executive head of the Global Compact office, recently explained that the program was established by Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General, in 1999.
"I think it is fair to say that the ultimate vision is to create an open but inclusive market," explained Kell in an interview with the Journal. "Our goal is a decent living for everybody, bringing the poor into the market, making sure that business activities in developing countries are fully consistent with the aspirations of the people. And this is being achieved, in theory, by everybody's recognizing that there are a few fundamental, universal values that are valid everywhere, irrespective of income, culture, religion, or ethnic roots. So it is, in a sense, a globalist view with a social conscience."
