Getting to Fairness: Negotiations over Global Public Goods

How can global public goods, which are so vital to human security and well-being, be managed and provided more effectively? This paper argues that negotiations and agreements concerned with such goods must better reflect considerations of justice and fairness. It contrasts concepts of justice and fairness found in the scholarly literature, with those held and put in practice by delegates to international negotiations. A framework for defining, conducting and promoting fair negotiations over global public goods more systematically is then put forward. The emphasis is on structural issues, such as agenda-setting and representation, and process issues, such as fair play and negotiation procedures.