FOREWORD

The concept of global public goods is still new and somewhat
unfamiliar. But it has huge implications not just for development but also for multilateral approaches to a wide range of pressing global problems. That is why we at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have been enthusiastic supporters of research into a concept that we believe adds real value to efforts to address today's huge challenges.

Essentially, the concept of global public goods-or bads-tells us
that we are not facing myriad problems and that disparate crises
are not erupting for different reasons in nearly every sphere.
Rather, we are facing just one major challenge: how to rethink and reorient public policymaking to catch up with today's new realities of interdependence and globalization.

Many of the world's main crises-from climate change to terrorism-have characteristics of global public bads. They affect all of us indiscriminately but hit those with the fewest assets more
severely than those with private or national means to protect
themselves against crises, risks, and human insecurity.

At a recent meeting of heads of UN system agencies, we went
around the table and exchanged information on our work areas.
News abounded on the ill effects of worsening global public bads: the International Civil Aviation Organization raised the issue of terrorism control, the World Health Organization cited global health crises, the International Monetary Fund pointed to
international financial instability, the UN Environment Programme
and others identified global environmental challenges, including the challenge of averting a global water crisis, and so on.

The time has come for all of us to remind ourselves that nationally we benefit from such public goods as traffic lights, public health care, libraries, and judicial systems. And that reminder highlights the pressing need to ask-and open a fully participatory debate on how to answer-the question of which global public goods we need to produce jointly in this age of open borders and increasingly intertwined national public domains.

We have made progress in forging international agreements and
adopting resolutions stating political intentions to cooperate in key areas. But words need to be matched by actions, and actions often require financing-notably, financial incentives so that cooperation becomes economically worthwhile for all.

The global public goods agenda should be seen as a crucial but
separate complement to development assistance efforts. The two
must not be confused. Our view at UNDP is that addressing the
global public goods agenda more effectively will enhance aid
effectiveness. We need to meet both challenges together, in a
determined and fully funded way.

Mark Malloch Brown
Administrator, United Nations Development Programme

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