Crisis pushes multilateralism, Brown says

LONDON, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- The time is right to create a global society following the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown says.

In his annual Mansion House foreign policy address Monday, Brown also calls on global leaders to develop a "new multilateralism" in the wake of the financial crisis that has swamped world markets, The Times of London reported, based on remarks prepared for delivery.

"America stands at its own dawn of hope," Brown said, cautioning however, against the United States' adopting "protectionism that has been a feature in transforming past crises into deep recessions." Obama expressed caution on free trade matters during his campaign, saying such agreements must benefit not only investors and businesses but also consumers and workers.

Brown also discussed the world financial crisis, saying it was within leaders' powers "to come together so that 2008 is remembered not just for the failure of a financial crash that engulfed the world but for the resilience and optimism with which we faced the storm, endured it and prevailed."

Brown if one of about 20 world leaders traveling to Washington this week for an summit on the world financial crisis.