Although its origins go back earlier, the idea of global public, or communal, goods has sparked new interest and relevance with the pandemic, especially in the context of vaccines, but also given the new impetus aimed at restoring the environment and securing a fairer global taxation system for large corporations. The concept has taken on increasing importance in international politics, aided by UN agencies, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the OECD and various NGOs. In this context, the G7 gathering in Cornwall could have been the summit of the new global goods (with considerable input from US rivalry with China). But as well as this dimension there is also a need to address public evils, which are on the increase and also require global cooperation if they are to be overcome, such as cyber-attacks involving ransomware, which are capable of paralysing both public and private services.
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