Sylvia Ostry

"At the Global Crossroads" explores the many facets of a globalised world economy. This collection ranges from discussions of the global economic challenges of the twenty-first century to the particular economic opportunities for Canada and Latin America; from recession in the globalised economy to humanitarian aid for people displaced by conflict within their own country. "At the Global Crossroads" provides valuable and significant perspectives on global issues that affect all of us. Sylvia Ostry is one of Canada's foremost public servants. She reached the rank of deputy minister of the Canadian public service at the age of forty-five and served with distinction in three different federal departments as well as directing the Economic Council of Canada. She spent four years as chief economist at the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, and was appointed the prime minister's personal representative for the Economic Summit from 1985 to 1988. After leaving the public service of Canada, she became successively chairman of the National Council of the Canadian Institute of International Affairs, chancellor of the University of Waterloo, and chairman of the Centre for International Studies at the University of Toronto, where she is currently a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Munk Centre. The Sylvia Ostry Foundation was established in April 1991 by several of Sylvia Ostry's Canadian friends and admirers with the objective of sponsoring a major annual or biennial lecture in Canada on the global economic or financial system. At the Global Crossroads is a collection of the six lectures given to date. Contributors are Sadoka Ogata, from 1990-2000 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; Jacques Delors, former president of the European Commission; Michael Camdessus, managing director of the International Monetary Fund from 1987-2000; Renato Ruggiero, director general of the World Trade Organization from 1995-1999 and former minister of Foreign Affairs, Government of Italy; Enrique V. Iglesias, president of the Inter-American Development Bank; and Paul Volcker, former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve.

With the ending of the Cold War, the search for a new international and economic order has begun. This text examines the role of key economic power brokers, particularly the USA, in the reconstruction and reconfiguration of an international economy after World War II. The author argues that the US policy efforts were so successsful that they led to an unprecendented renewal of economic growth, living standards and education levels in postwar Europe and Japan. Ironically, those same policy successes unintentionally fostered the relative decline of US dominance on the world trade scene as the reduction of trade and investment barriers prompted friction and conflict between different kinds of capitalist systems. Identifying the historical and legal issues in postwar trade policy, Ostrey attempts to chart our economic course through the last half of the 20th century and into the next.

"""We should be grateful to Ostry and Nelson for giving clarity and balance to interrelated subjects too often dominated by passion and muddle."" Keith Pavitt, University of Sussex Sylvia Ostry is chair of the Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto. Richard R. Nelson is professor of international and public affairs, business, and law at Columbia University.This work is part of the Integrating National Economies series. As global markets for goods, services and financial assets have become increasingly integrated, national governments no longer have as much control over economic markets. With the completion of the Uruguay Round of the GATT talks, the world economy has entered a fresh phase requiring different rules and different levels of international cooperation. Policies once thought to be entirely domestic and appropriately determined by national political institutions, are now subject to international constraints. Cogent analysis of this deeper integration of the world economy, and guidelines for government policies, are urgent priorities. This series aims to meet these needs over a range of 21 books by some of the world's leading economists, political scientists, foreign policy specialists and government officials."

The Canadian Political Science Association's 1964 Conference on Statistics was held in Charlottetown on June 13 and 14. The general theme of the Conference was Regional Statistical Studies. Twelve papers were presented and of these nine are included in this volume.