One thing is clear. Globalization will go forward. Those who wish to stop the process because they fear its disruptive effect are misguided. Greater economic integration and political cooperation are positive forces. Open markets and rules-based trade are the best engine we have to lift living standards and build shared prosperity.
Open markets create jobs, spark innovation, spread new technology, and raise incomes.
From the 1970s to the early 1990s, developing countries that chose growth through trade grew at least twice as fast as those that chose to keep their markets closed. We must continue to promote, at home and abroad, the development of democratic political systems. Healthy democracies, in addition to being the best guarantors of human rights, produce the social and political stability prerequisite for long-term economic growth. In an age where information is the most valued commodity, democracies ensure the free flow of information that creates an empowered and informed citizenry. We cannot ignore these voices and the issues they raise.