The world community must use the same energy it has dedicated to the fight against terrorism to ensure the benefits of globalization are shared by all, especially the world’s poor, Finance Minister Paul Martin said today.

“The physical assault leveled against us is being met by an international coalition of nations, faiths and force that will not fail,” Martin said. “We must dedicate ourselves to the cause of economic security for all people, just as surely as we have dedicated ourselves to the cause of physical security.”

Martin made his comments in a luncheon speech co-hosted by the Reinventing Bretton Woods Committee and The Conference Board of Canada. It also comes on the eve of the G-20 meeting in Ottawa.

In his speech he said the G-20 has three goals for its third annual meeting: dealing with the economic impact of September 11; agreeing to a global action plan to combat terrorist financing; and ensuring that globalization works for all — especially for the poorest.

Martin also said that the September 11 attacks aimed to freeze economic and financial activity, create new barriers between economies and destroy business and consumer confidence. “Economies cannot withdraw their links; we must make them stronger. International and multilateral tools cannot be laid aside; we must take them up as never before,” he said. “This must be the spirit we adopt for this weekend’s meetings.”