Small countries like Bermuda can be easily forgotten in a globalised world, a top employers official warned yesterday.

International Organisation Of Employers Deputy Director Brent Wilson told the Bermuda Employers Council annual general meeting that all countries must focus on social cohesion as the world?s economies changed.

?Bermuda is a small place and small places are soon forgotten, particularly in a globalised world,? he said.

?The issues we face are the same ? economic development, social advancement, and perhaps more importantly, social cohesion.

?We only to have to see the recent TV pictures of what is happening in France (the riots) and that?s how brutal social cohesion can be in times of economic distress which parts of that society are suffering from.?

Mr. Wilson said social cohesion is often taken for granted but it can often be quite fragile.

And only business enterprise and economic growth can ensure that people have a stake in the economy, he added.

?Time is money is an old saying, but the only recourse to ensure the engine of world creation is enterprise ? it is not Government and it is not NGO?s (non-governmental organisations).

?The only people that can make money for a society are the enterprises and unless they have a say in encouraging an environment which fosters their ability to participate in the global economy, then you are lost.?

He said it is important for the Island?s economy, legislation and enterprises to participate as much as possible in what is becoming available in the globalised world.

The ILO Deputy Secretary said the engines of an offshore economy have to be ?fleet of foot? to be able to react and adjust quickly to movements in the international economy and respond to the needs of that market.

?Shifts in the global market place means existing market advantages cannot be guaranteed over time and the basis of economic development may not be sustainable over the long term ? be that tourism, financial services or the insurance industry.

?Companies must be able to quickly reposition themselves quickly in order to protect themselves from or take advantage of market shifts.

?It requires governments to provide the necessary legislative framework to facilitate that adjustment whilst also looking at, as governments must do, for the balance to sustain people impacted by the change.?

Mr. Wilson said flexibility issues needs to be discussed and that?s why social dialogue is regarded as the best method to enable Government, employers, workers and their representatives to resolve these issues.