Law in a Global World

'Globalisation' is a word familiar to all. In the minds of many, it stands for all that is bad in the world of the beginning of the twenty-first century. But what is globalisation?

Globalisation can be defined as the increased economic integration of the countries of the world caused by increased trade and investment due to improved technologies and a reduction of barriers. Its effects can be seen in a greater movement of

• people
• goods, and
• capital.

Is globalisation always bad? Must it always have negative effects?

The effects of globalisation will depend on the use that is made of the available means, technological and other.

Globalisation can make a very positive contribution to the development of rich and poor alike, on condition that the means at its disposal are used to promote the fair distribution of resources and the sustainable development of all countries alike, so as to first reduce, and then eliminate, poverty and the inequality of the economic development of the peoples of the world.

Uniform law is the tool used to ensure that the legal environment helps, and does not hinder, this development.