Decision Makers 2010 Building Sustainability in a Globalized World Conference June 7-10, 2000, Hong Kong Executive Summary | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6 Program & Real Audio Presentations Participants Picture Gallery Art Gallery Word-Download: Executive Summary in German

				Plenum III - Rapporteur's Reports & Plenum IV - Conclusions Political legitimacy in transformation is less the acceptance of formal international laws, but rather a change in culture to take in informal rules of the game. There is no chance of a global government, but in important areas an inconsistently built system of global governance appears to be emerging. The internet provides an excellent example of both the merits and challenges of a piecemeal system, in that it: forces people to cope with changes as radio and television did not; shows the danger of self-isolation; creates new demarcation lines, especially of age and class demonstrates that self-regulation by business will often not be sufficient for the public interest; gives an example of the shortcomings of procedural democracy, both in protection of minorities and in cases when power and majorities do not coincide; and illustrates the difference between the official representation of the internet and the real changes taking place outside of official view. Technology is paving the way for a new era of individualization. Both of the key areas discussed, biotechnology and digitalization, are adapted for use by individuals, and both offer empowerment to single persons. Collectivity will continue to backslide in the early twenty-first century. Patent and intellectual property rights, and the powerful interests behind them, are under serious challenge by both globalization and digitalization. Fresh perspectives need to be found to balance public and private interests in copyrights and patents, both in individual countries and among nations. Interpretation of events depends greatly on the cultural background an individual brings to the table. Some cultures are more likely to take up new ideas than others, some take longer periods of time to accept changes, some resist change for a long period before reforming quite swiftly. These different paces will present persistent challenges in international relations, particularly as the accepted area of international interest reaches ever deeper into areas previously regarded as purely internal. In final comments, Ulrich Goluke added that a third of the world's population is under 15 years of age. This is a portent of major change and disruption Pawel Mroczkowski spoke of the need for a space for human rights and action against tyranny, anywhere in the world Silke Goldberg said we are headed for new forms of politics, shaped by technology and tied to generational conflicts. Follow-up The Research Group on the Global Future is preparing a Memorandum of Recommendations, summarizing key elements of the conference and our research, to be supported by as many participants as possible, and to be brought into the political processes in our respective countries. Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 | Page 5 | Page 6
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