Publications / Report
Report · April 2025
The birth of global public investment
Mutual interest and mutuality in 21st century international public finance
Jonathan Glennie
Summary.
The world is at a turning point. Climate change, pandemics, financial instability, conflict and deepening inequality do not respect borders, yet the systems we rely on to fund collective action remain fragmented and unequal.
Global public investment (GPI) offers a fresh model for financing collective progress in the 21st century. By rethinking how international public finance is conceived, governed and spent, it offers a path to cooperation that is more legitimate, effective and inclusive.
This is not charity. It is shared investment in our shared future.
Key findings.
1Time for something new
Our most pressing challenges are borderless, but the systems that fund collective action remain fragmented, outdated and unequal.
2A narrative renaissance: towards mutual interest
Stories of donor generosity and recipient need no longer resonate. The case for cooperation has to rest on interdependence.
3An institutional evolution: towards mutuality
Change can start now, by building shared contribution, inclusive governance and collective benefit into existing institutions.
4Getting to work
Invest in the narrative, and embed GPI principles in institutions through practical windows of opportunity.
How to cite
Glennie, J. (2025). The birth of global public investment: Mutual interest and mutuality in 21st century international public finance. Bogotá: Global Cooperation Institute.