We fully recognize that business is the main creator of wealth, jobs and prosperity, without which development cannot occur nor peace be sustained. That is why we have engaged in a very constructive dialogue with business groups such as the International Chamber of Commerce. And that is why we have instilled a new awareness throughout the United Nations family that working with the business community can bring benefits to all. Indeed, all United Nations agencies are searching for practical ways to translate the potential of cooperation into concrete action. One of the biggest challenges we face today is to secure an open and rule-based international economy.
Markets are global, while governments remain local.
National economies are becoming more and more interdependent. Our choice today is between regulatory consistency and chaos, and between spreading the benefits of globalization or reserving them for just a few. The United Nations has a keen interest in ensuring that markets remain open and that global engagement prevails over an inward-looking orientation. Business was an important presence at the Rio Summit. This past April, the Commission on Sustainable Development conducted a ground-breaking dialogue among delegates from businesses, trade unions, citizens' groups and governments.