Globalization: a long-term view

The process of globalization is now the most important development in world affairs. It is the end of the world order dominated by nation states (or countries) and the beginning of an era in which national governments have to share their power with other entities, most notably transnational corporations (TNCs), inter-governmental organizations (IGOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The process has to be viewed in its long-term historical evolution. Unfortunately, the process was seen as a technical international law issue by most people so there was a lack of attention to ensuring that the process worked for the benefit of all of humanity. The current (belated) controversy, such as the 1999 Battle of Seattle, could be a window of opportunity for NGOs to encourage a more informed public debate on how to create proposals for a better world.