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20.  Does the provision of global public goods imply creating new institutions at the national and international levels?

Not necessarily. Basically, global public goods call for a new way of public policymaking. First and foremost, they call for making international cooperation an integral—not just optional—part of national policymaking. And they also call for a strengthened issue-orientation—a focus not only on developing certain economic sectors, countries or regions, but also making sure that certain issues are resolved and that global public goods are supplied at a desired level and in an appropriate form. This in turn calls for a re-thinking of public economics as well as foreign policy and diplomacy. There is also a need for making more deliberate and systematic use of public-private partnerships and for infusing new entrepreneurial spirit for more effective coordination and strategic management into public policymaking at the national and international level. Many issues may, however, require more networking among existing national actors. But such networks, partnerships or coalitions can often be of a time-bound nature—focused on enhancing the provision status of a particular global public good.

Global public goods do not call for adding more layers to the national and international bureaucracy. In fact, the global public goods lens helps develop arguments for rationalizing these bureaucracies to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

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