Global Policy Forum

By Colleen Barry

President Clinton, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, and a dozen world leaders endorsed a set of broad principles yesterday meant to distribute more evenly the fruits of the burgeoning global economy: wealth, technology, and jobs.

The conference on ''Progressive Governance'' - the new buzzword for the attempt to balance pure capitalism with pure socialism - expanded a core group of six nations that met in Florence in November to include poorer countries trailing in an age of globalization.

The leaders addressed that growing gap during the three-hour session, announcing three programs that wealthy nations will pursue at the next summit of the Group of Seven biggest industrial powers and Russia. They are: spreading educational opportunities, closing the technology gap, and fighting infectious diseases, especially AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

''We don't believe that you can have social justice and deal with all these other challenges we face unless you have effective, progressive government that makes the most of the new economy and deals with its rough edges and difficulties as well,'' Clinton said. ''We don't believe in just laissez-faire economics, but we don't believe that government alone can solve these problems or just ignore them,'' he said.

The goal of the conference is to improve citizens' lives by focusing on issues once considered mostly domestic, but that increasingly bind nations in the complex global economy, such as immigration, education reform, and job creation. ''People want to live in a community, not merely work in a market,'' the leaders said in a statement.

Schroeder said that entailed promoting ''common values, democracy, social cohesion, and the fight for human rights and against racism and anti-Semitism.''

The final document contained a number of broad pledges, including one sought by Latin American participants for stronger regulation of financial markets that have wreaked havoc on their economies in recent years.

South African President Thabo Mbeki said developing nations understand and welcome the markets but want a voice in determining the rules. ''We need a global democratic system of policy-making,'' he said.

The leaders also stressed the need for international social agreements to promote ''an idea of community'' worldwide, to coordinate the fight against unemployment, and to create a climate that encourages the development of technology and entrepreneurial spirit.

The conference is the most serious attempt by liberal leaders to take a coordinated step toward solving problems outside traditional international forums, which often exclude poorer countries.

The leaders also are trying to address the critical problem of how to apply common solutions to a collection of nations with vastly different economic resources and social concerns.

Besides the United States, Germany, Canada, France, and Italy - all are members of both NATO and the G-7 - the conference included Sweden, the Netherlands, Portugal, Greece, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil.

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