In his first speech after Obama's election, Brown seizes the opportunity to call for more international cooperation. 

by Mike Kravinsky

photo courtesy World Economic Forum via Creative Commons

The U.K. prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for a "truly global society" in the face of the current economic crisis. "While I see a world that is facing financial crisis and still diminished by conflict and injustice, I also see the chance to forge a new multilateralism that is both hard-headed and progressive," Brown said.

In what appears a rejection of the George Bush philosophy of "go it alone" international policy of the last 8 years, Brown's keynote speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet made a case for leaders of the world to join together to achieve a global society. "I believe that in our international cooperation on finance, climate change, terrorism and ending conflict, there is evidence of this new multilateralism at work in the world – fairer, more stable and more prosperous because it is rooted in cooperation and justice."

Referencing to the to the election of Barack Obama, and a new found optimism in the prospect of international cooperation, Brown said, "as America stands at its own dawn of hope – so let that hope be fulfilled through a pact with the wider world to lead and shape the 21st century as the first century of a truly global society." 

This is the first foreign policy speech by Brown since Obama's win. Brown said that the U.S. and Europe working together are needed to make a new world order, "If we learn from our experience of turning unity of purpose into unity of action, together we can seize this moment of profound change to create, for the first time, the age of the truly global society, one where progressive multilateralism, not narrow unilateralism, is the norm."