1 Key Arguments Presented in This Volume

Given the importance of international organizations in today’s world, the purpose of this publication is to present the scale of activities carried out by international organizations (IO s), their role in solving selected problems related to the current challenges of the world, and the effectiveness of actions taken to balance global development. This publication is an original research work aimed at acquiring new knowledge about basic phenomena and observable facts on the role of international organizations in creating, managing, and providing global public goods (GPG s) for better implementation of sustainable development (SD). The publication is of key importance for the theory and practice of international and development economics, the more so because their role has increased significantly in the current global situation, marked by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the deepening economic crisis. The fact that international organizations have come to serve as a forum where attempts are made to reconcile the conflicting interests of its members is of particular importance nowadays, given that member states seem to be losing the ability to deal with the flagrant incongruities existing within their own societies. They begin to rely – to an increasing extent – on international organizations as coordinators of activities within the gradually expanding areas of international cooperation.

According to scholars researching the process of globalization, the role of international organizations in responding to new global and regional challenges related to economic, financial, and social changes has become noticeably more prominent over the past decade (Gygli et al., 2019; McCormick, 2022; Diehl & Frederking, 2010; Carbaugh, 2016). The changes which have taken place in the world have increased the pressure to build a new global architecture for the 21st century based on deepening the interdependence of the main actors in international relations (that is, international governmental organizations and institutions, states, and NGO s) to face the current economic, political, financial, and social challenges. But today, as the global community confronts a comprehensive and interconnected array of compelling economic, development, and security challenges which require effective coexistence of these actors, the importance of IO s in solving this problems is much greater than ever. Nowadays at the center of world sustainability stand the new policy towards the ways of providing and regulating global public goods by IO s as the global uncertainty is on the rise fueled by political, geo-economic, and social tensions. The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have accelerated and focused attention on these shifts, while creating challenges of its own. It has exposed the risk of a breakdown of global cooperation and trust. But no matter what the emerging threats are, it has also highlighted the interconnected nature of economies, which rely on stable and predictable international rules and resilient channels of multilateral cooperation.

Today, global public goods – their management and provision – are one of the most important issues in international relations and their study has not only an academic but also a distinctly utilitarian value (Kaul et al., 2003). Questions about how to maintain peace and democracy, impede global warming, fight the pandemic or avoid the global economic and financial crisis are becoming increasingly relevant to a globalized world. Despite the threats and the obvious benefits of collective actions of the international community for the common good and the wider security of the world for future generations, the practice of all subjects involved in this area leaves much to be done and is in principle still a road to nowhere, no matter if it has absorbed huge amounts of private and public money and still is unable to provide what civilians need the most – security, stability, sustainability.

It is currently necessary to provide a multidimensional analysis of the impact of international organizations on mitigating the threats emerging in the global economy and reconciling the conflicting interests of its members through a more effective provision, management, and use of global goods in the process of implementing sustainable development. The aim of the study is twofold. Firstly, it is believed to be the first study of this kind to carry out a multidimensional analysis of the impact of international organizations on mitigating global economic, social, and political challenges in the world, increasing in complexity and number, and to reconcile the conflicting interests of the organizations’ members through much more effective use of global goods to foster sustainable development. Secondly, it provides further evidence for the policy debate on the scope and importance of international organizations in the process of optimal (efficient) management and use of a wide range of public goods in the implementation of the concept of sustainable development. Moreover, the sustainable development of the world has raised concerns within scholars for decades (Alves & Biancarelli, 2020; Sachs et al., 2019; Independent Group, 2019; Gupta & Vegelin, 2016; Stiglitz, 2019). From a different angle, the validity of the debate notwithstanding, very little attention in it has been paid to the question of the independence of sustainable development with global public goods provision by IO s, which has become an extremely urgent and important problem in the times of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine. This publication seeks to answer the following questions: (1) What are the stages of the evolution of GPG s in the globalizing world? (2) What are the main elements of the sustainable development paradigm, considering the ongoing changes in the world? (3) What are the main elements of GPG s? (4) What actors of international relations have enough power to rule and provide GPG s? (5) What are the most important instruments and dimensions of the contemporary GPG in regards to their impact on the world’s SD?

The IO policy towards the regulation/provision/management of global public goods has to adopt and reflect the challenges of our times by building fairer and more sustainable globalization based on modernized rules and stronger enforcement action. It is only by doing so that we can generate in a responsible and sustainable manner the opportunities that citizens and the planet need. The provision of global public goods by IO s has the potential to influence not only the economy or politics, but also our daily lives through the constant spread of democratic openness and empowered citizenship on a global scale to make all of them more sustainable. Especially as global public goods are provided largely without a relevant, up-to-date theory, often failing to keep up with the rapidly evolving world. Furthermore, the perception of global public goods varies across population groups in today’s multifactor world.

2 Statement of Purpose

Many member states and other participants of international relations regard the activities of IO s as inadequate and doubt their ability to cope with increasingly complex and numerous challenges, such as financial instability, the environment and climate change, health and the fight against major pandemics, multilateral trade, everyday security, etc., which are no longer only national goals but global public goods. On the other hand, in today’s economy the production of private goods has taken precedence over the provision of public goods. Therefore, if SD is to become reality, the debate on global public goods needs to be pursued. This book critically examines how effectively global institutions comply with their commitments to provide global public goods. It analyzes how their effectiveness can be improved through accountability measures designed to increase the global institutions’ compliance with the assumptions of sustainable development, and to deliver better results not only through influencing the policy of member states to be more effective towards implementation of global public goods, but also through securing adequate resources (private and public) for these goods.

This publication is an original research work aimed at acquiring new knowledge about basic phenomena and observable facts, as the role of international organizations in the implementation of the concept of sustainable development is of key importance for the theory and practice of international economics and development economics. It is all the more important, given the current global situation, marked by the pandemic and a deepening economic crisis. In fact, international organizations have come to serve as a forum for attempts to reconcile the conflicting interests of their members. It is of particular importance nowadays, given that member states seem to be losing the ability to deal with the flagrant incongruities existing within their own general public. They begin to rely – to an increasing extent – on international organizations as coordinators of activities within the gradually expanding areas of international cooperation. Given the importance of international organizations in today’s world, the publication would present the scale of activities carried out by international organizations and their role in solving selected problems related to the current challenges of the world economy, as well as the scope and effectiveness of actions taken to balance global development.

3 Methodology

The starting point of the research publication presents, by the method of synthesis and deduction, the impact of international organizations on mitigating the threats emerging in the global economy and reconciling the conflicting interests of its members through a more effective management of global goods in the process of implementing sustainable development. Due to the interdisciplinary and complex nature of this analysis, mixed research methods were employed (Creswell et al., 2003) to integrate quantitative and qualitative analyzes and results.

In order to achieve the purpose of this publication, the following methods were employed:

1. –The methods of literature analysis, including critical analysis of literature of discipline (Popay et al., 2006) as well as for the purpose of the review of scientific literature, and content analysis (Krippendorff, 2004) were used. To make this process comprehensive, published literature related to the global goods, sustainable development, and international organizations was analyzed using standardized techniques). Peer-reviewed scientific papers and books were accessed in online databases (Science Direct, Research, Academy, Google Scholar) using different combinations of search terms. The Boolean operators AND and OR were used to make this search more effective. Publications, books, scientific magazines, articles, acts, reports of the European Commission, European Central Bank, United Nations, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Bank, and international scientific institutes and others were analyzed to gather the theoretical base for empirical research. Such a wide range of literature allowed the researchers to find and analyze the most appropriate and the most recent literature and document as well as to state clearly what has been researched so far in this area to avoid duplications and if so, what types of actions are deemed necessary.
2. –Quantitative methods – of time series of economic indicators, descriptive analysis of statistical data and reports of expert groups, visual presentation of results, tabular description of materials and data obtained from reports of the European Commission, European Central Bank, United Nations, UNIDO, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Bank and other institutions and also statistical materials published by these organizations, as well as international scientific institutes.
3. –The case study method to show the prospects in the implementation of actions taken by the international organizations on mitigating the threats emerging in the global economy and reconciling the conflicting interests of its members through a more effective management of global goods in the process of implementing sustainable development.

The analysis was carried out accordingly to the type of data collected. Due to discrepancies in data from these sources, the empirical analysis was preceded by a thorough verification of the data. Qualitative data was analyzed in line with the principles of thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006;).

4 Setup

Members of society of today should be aware that regardless of the pros and cons, it has to be admitted that the concept of SD is one of the most important strategies of economic development and has the potential to influence not only the economy but also our daily lives to make them more sustainable. Especially in the context of the effective creation, management, and use of global public goods by international organizations. Yet, we do not have a sufficiently developed research approach that allows us to look at the different aspects of their importance in the context of SD. This book examines the issue of interdependence between three elements: international organizations, global public goods, and sustainable development, which has not been comprehensively analyzed yet and discussed in the literature. The publication comprises six parts consisting of 16 chapters, including this introductory chapter and a concluding one. The chapters address a variety of topics consistent with the book objectives.

The discussion in the book starts with Part 1, which highlights the key features of global public goods and global governance. It consist of two chapters. In Chapter 1 Katja Zajc Kejžar and Nina Ponikvar focus on analyzing the interconnectivity of sustainable development and global public goods in today’s practice of international organizations facing new challenges such as COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, climate change, rapid developments in new technologies, economic and social foundations of our lives, etc. This part presents the evolution and the main features of global public goods (GPG s) as well as their role in the world economy of today. This chapter contributes to the understanding of the changing nature of GPG s and frames the discussion on the adjustments needed in the definition and provision of GPG s by the main stakeholders, including international organizations, in the context of the new sustainable development paradigm. The analysis provided here makes two important contributions. First, it specifies what global public goods are and answers the question of how international organizations streamline the use of global public goods. Secondly, the analysis highlights the correlation between the increase of utility and effectiveness of global public goods and the implementation of the sustainable development concept in contemporary circumstances.

In Chapter 2, Willem Molle characterizes the modern system of global governance, the process of its evolution up to the present, its theoretical backgrounds, as well as its strengths and weaknesses. To address the considerable challenges that the system faces nowadays, the author analyzes how adequate this system is to solve these challenges in such an unstable world and what the consequences of these changes could be for various aspects of social life and for the relationships between the major actors of the world economy. Molle concentrates in this chapter on three important sets of concrete questions: the first one concerns the scope of globalization and the growth of global institutions capable of delivering new global public goods; the second one touches on the issue of theoretical explanations of these developments and the main characteristics of the system of global governance as it has evolved to the present with special attention to the ensuing shift in authority to IO s; and the third one raises the problem of the main weaknesses of the current system of global governance, how the lack of legitimacy of existing institutions can be addressed, and what should be done to improve the performance of institutions.

Part 2 focuses on international security and SDG s. Chapter 3 by Anatoliy Kruglashov argues that the global order is in a dramatic transition phase, from the so-called unipolar to a multipolar system of international relations. This makes international relations less predictable so that global and regional actors tend towards chaotic moves and actions. The first victim of this trend is international security. Rapid growth of local and regional conflicts and fears unleashed by COVID-19 are only a few of the risks the global community is facing. The new stage of the Russo – Ukrainian War thoroughly proves the aggravated state of global insecurity. International organizations have been founded in order to promote global development and pave a way towards peaceful and rational solutions in the area of security. Still, the UN is hardly a successful case as a provider of global security. NATO seems much stronger but its power is limited as well. The EU seeks to play an active role in resolving most crucial regional and global problems, but it is burdened with too many internal problems by itself. Numerous issues also impaired the activity of OSCE and Council of Europe. This chapter deals with the UN, the OSCE, NATO, the Council of Europe, and, finally, EU policies regarding the most crucial security challenges. How do they try to cope with the key issues of the lack of security? What are the advantages and disadvantages of those international organizations vis-à-vis key threats and the risks of global disorder? What kind of solutions do they look for in order to increase their capacity to introduce more peaceful and secure politics to the world? All of these activities by international organizations in the realm of security are analyzed by applying the concepts of hard, soft and smart powers.

In Chapter 4 Leiza Brumat, Diego Caballero Vélez, and Marta Pachocka argue that IO s actively link SD to migration as a political strategy for mitigating the effects of the overlapping and fragmented character of global migration governance. The literature acknowledges this governance character in the legislation and regimes that regulate different types of migrants and migration, and that migration is an area in which states’ interests are very divergent, so collective action is more unlikely). This has powerful effects on individuals’ access to rights and mobility In this chapter, the authors argue that IO s are aware that states’ interests are more likely to converge in a SD agenda rather than the migration agenda because the SD agenda is perceived as more legitimate. They analyze refugee protection as a global public good to show how IO s actively include migration into their SD agendas to broaden the opportunities for cooperation in this highly contested area. They show how and why IO s strategically “use” SD to enhance global migration governance by looking at the cases of the UNHCR and the EU.

In Chapter 5 Angela Maria Romito and Aleksandra Szczerba describe the European legal system for protecting human rights, highlighting the relevant tools of the European Union through the prism of the rule of law as an “umbrella principle.” The principle at stake – the rule of law – is the backbone of any modern constitutional democracy. Within the EU legal system, it is enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and it is a prerequisite for the protection of all the other fundamental values, including fundamental rights and democracy. The concept of the rule of law includes, inter alia, principles such as legality, according to which the legislative process must be transparent, accountable, democratic, and pluralistic; offer legal certainty; prohibit the arbitrary exercise of executive power; provide effective judicial protection by independent and impartial courts and effective judicial review, including respect for fundamental rights; ensure separation of powers; and guarantee equality before the law. These principles have been recognized by the Court of Justice of the European Union. They shall ensure that all public authorities always act within the limits set by the law, in accordance with the values of democracy and fundamental rights, and under the supervision of an independent and impartial judge. The recent behavior of governments, such as that of Poland and Hungary, has contributed to intensifying the debate on strengthening the rule of law and the necessary involvement of an active civil society.

Economic globalization has brought progress in many areas of social life and influenced the living standards of many people around the world. International trade significantly contributed to this development, following the liberalization processes that occurred in the world after World War II. However, growing production and trade deplete resources, pollute the air, oceans, and soil, and have a negative impact on the environment and health of people. The chapters in Part 3 concentrate on the empirical verification of the theory of global public goods and sustainable development through the prism of multilateral trade in the activities of the OECD, the WTO, and the EU. The focus is on the importance of multilateral trade to foster sustainable development.

In Chapter 6 Lenka Fojtíková introduces some facts and shows critical areas in trade liberalization, which is carried out under the WTO multilateral framework and supported by the OECD in order to achieve sustainable development in the world. Firstly, the author presents an interaction between economic development and environmental sustainability in practical examples. The chapter proves that the cooperation on the creation of a suitable institutional framework, which would protect the environment and not create new barriers to trade, is necessary on local, regional, national, and international levels. Secondly, the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG s) is discussed. The chapter presents the institutional and legal frameworks of both organizations that deal with environment-related issues. Besides this, special attention is given to the multilateral trade principles, such as non-discrimination, transparency, and predictability, to implement measures in order to achieve environmental goals and not create barriers to trade. Thirdly, the author analyzes the trade liberalization process in three areas that play the most important role in ensuring market access for environmental goods and services. Thus, the liberalization of agricultural trade, trade in services, and intellectual property represent the most sensitive topics in the area of multilateral trade liberalization in which the author develops a critical debate on the real achievements of the WTO and the OECD on the way to achieving sustainable development.

In addition to these analyzes, in Chapter 7 Piotr Stolarczyk reviews the rules governing the provision of financing for international trade with particular focus on the functioning of so-called export credits. The starting point for the author’s analysis is the observation of the growing importance of trade as such in generating national income. An open and non-discriminatory system of international trade has become crucial to ensure the sustainable development of the world. The liberalization of trade that has been going on for many years created highly competitive environment for international trade. In such a reality, maintaining the appropriate shape of regulations that will ensure the non-discriminatory nature of world trade and, at the same time, free access to the global market of goods and services, has become of high importance. The WTO and the OECD are the organizations that ensure the compliance with the regulations. According to the author, they are also the regulators of an open and non-discriminatory trading system as a public good. The author analyzes the provisions of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, and the OECD Consensus, with special focus on regulations concerning export credits. The author pays attention to the special rules concerning least developed countries, which are shaped to support their development in a competitive system of international trade.

In Chapter 8 Aleksandra Borowicz and Rasa Daugėlienė provide an overview and space for critical debate on the role of the EU as an international organization in the creation of a multilateral trade regime in the context of the SDG s through the trade channel. As a key player on the global economic and political scene, the European Union is the creator of the world trade regime, next to World Trade Organization (WTO). Through the trade policy, it impacts the fulfillment of the SDG s. Firstly, the authors discuss international trade as a global public good by indicating the features of global public goods. The chapter proves that the characteristic non-rivalry and non-excludability of international trade portrays trade as a global public good. Therefore, it is expected that trade policy shall play an essential role in the delivery of SDG s. The authors reveal which targets set in Agenda 2030 are directly correlated with trade. Secondly, the chapter presents EU trade policy as a holistic area of policymaking, the complex character and direct linkages of EU priorities with SDG s, and the progress of EU member states on the road to the achievement of the SDG s. Thirdly, the authors analyze EU trade policy towards third countries in terms of covering the agreements by the SDG s. The analysis presented in the chapter is based on 11 agreements with various third countries. The chapter gives an overview and space for critical debate on the role of the EU as an international organization in the creation of a multilateral trade regime in the context of the SDG s through the trade channel.

Part 4 focuses on financial stability and GDP in the activities of the World Bank, the IMF, and the EU. The issue of financial system stability has gained importance in recent years. The global financial crisis of 2007+ has forced a revision of thinking about the economy. Globalization stimulates close multilevel connections between various economic entities and international organizations, as well as between the international organizations themselves. These connections also contribute to the stability of the financial system. However, financial system stability is a difficult, multifaceted, and often controversial topic. The spread of communicable diseases (especially the COVID-19 pandemic), changes in today’s multilateral trade and financial system structures, the impact of climate change, international and internal security crises (such as the war in Ukraine) all clearly illustrate the urgency of concerted global actions of all actors in international relations, with the World Bank/World Bank Group, IMF, and EU at the forefront.

Chapter 9 by Ewa Latoszek and Andrzej Latoszek examines the role of the World Bank in fostering sustainable growth in the world via increasing its involvement in the management and production of global public goods parallel to its statutory activities focused on planned financial support for member states. The main aim is to analyze and suggest ways in which the World Bank can strengthen its abilities in GPG s production to assist member states to meet their development objectives together with sustainable growth goals. This chapter explores the backgrounds of changes that took place in World Bank priorities over the decades and the ways in which this organization is able to combine its main statutory aims with delivering GPG s to foster sustainable growth. By doing so, it also highlights the contingencies besetting the process and offers some cues into World Bank’s current stance towards the most important challenges in this area.

In Chapter 10 Magdalena Proczek presents the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which ensures the stability of the international financial and economic system by controlling, regulating, and assisting its members. This organization conducts ongoing bilateral and multilateral surveillance of member countries’ financial and economic policies, which is an important part of the IMF’s work to balance development and manage global public goods. In the process of surveillance and regulation, the Fund identifies potential risks to macroeconomic and financial stability. The analysis highlights that the IMF recommends necessary adjustments and, if required, supports member states in preparing and implementing adjustment and recovery programs, which are often combined with providing financing and technical assistance during the implementation of the programs.

Chapter 11, written by Agnieszka Kłos, presents the issues related to the coordination of the fiscal policy at European Union level. The creation of the economic and monetary union is one of the stages of tightening and deepening the integration of the European Union member states. It manifests itself in the creation of rules for the coordination of fiscal and monetary policy. As the common euro currency was launched, the monetary policy was delegated to a supranational level. But it did not concern fiscal policy, which remained with the eurozone countries’ domestic governments. The fiscal framework of the EU is an institutional safeguard against the externalities of the domestic fiscal policies in the economic and monetary union. Commonly agreed principles and institutions aim to ensure the long-lasting stability of public finances so as to protect the autonomy and effectiveness of the centralized monetary policy. However, not all member states respect these rules. The author presents the changes in the coordination of fiscal rules prepared by the European Commission and makes an attempt to assess how the coordination of fiscal policy at the EU level affects ensuring the conditions for sustainable development.

Part 5 focuses on green energy, health care, and digitalization as international global public goods. The authors of the chapters in this part argue that IO s should pay more attention the most important challenges of today’s world, which include green energy, health care, the digitalization process, knowledge and intellectual property management, and making cities smarter from the viewpoint of global public goods and sustainable growth. Neglecting these issues can impede regional and international efforts to enhance the equitable distribution of GPG s for making the world more sustainable.

In Chapter 12, Anna Wójtowicz underlines that the progressive process of globalization has resulted in numerous threats that take up a much broader dimension in the modern economy: the degradation of natural resources, climate change, and strong dependence of many developed economies on imports of energy resources, with individual states often unable to deal with the effects of global challenges on their own. This chapter aims to show the importance of global public goods such as environmental protection and energy conservation and to verify whether the actions taken by IO s in favor of the green transition fit into the model of sustainable development. The analysis includes IO s such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, but special attention is paid to the European Union and the European Investment Bank, as these organizations have taken on the extremely ambitious challenge of achieving EU climate neutrality by 2050.

The purpose of Chapter 13, by Ewa Kosycarz, is to show the role of international institutions in the process of delivering global health-related public goods that meet the 2030 SDG s. The author presents examples of global public goods in global health and indicates that the Sustainable Development Goals (which can be implemented through the provision of global goods) allows the raising of the level of global health. Attention is also paid to public goods in global health at the regional level, giving the example of the European Union. In this context, experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed in particular. The EU’s role in providing global public goods in health care, as perceived by EU institutions, also seems to be important. Reference is made to the reasons for starting work on the EU Global Health Strategy. The author also draws attention to the causes of difficulties and, consequently, failures in the provision of public goods in global health.

Chapter 14, written by Ewa Osuch-Rak, presents the international intellectual property (IP) system, which is complex and dichotomous in nature. It involves, on the one hand, the need to stimulate technological progress by maintaining an adequate level of IP protection and, on the other hand, the need to create appropriate conditions for the diffusion of innovation and technology transfer. Both technological development and technology transfer are essential to the achievement of SDG s. The aim of the chapter is to discuss the role of selected international organizations in realizing the concept of sustainable development, based on the study of their programs and activities related to IP. Firstly, the author gives an overview of the relation between IP and economic growth, highlighting the complex and ambiguous nature of this relationship, which makes the management of the international IP regime require special competencies. Secondly, the author presents both IP and knowledge as global public goods, emphasizing the differences between them. Thirdly, the author analyzes the approach of selected international organizations to sustainable development. These organizations form the architecture of the international IP system: the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the European Union (EU), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This chapter reveals many contemporary challenges of the international IP system and proves that international organizations may alleviate tensions and ambiguities within it in order to achieve the SDG s.

Part 6 is devoted to the issues of digital transformation and the concepts of smart cities, which are increasingly important for strategic sustainable development. An important challenge of today’s world is digitalization, which is essential for all aspects of our lives. This phenomenon is analyzed in Chapter 15 by Malgorzata Dziembała and Mirela Mărcuț, who underline that digitalization is a process of transformation of society and the economy fueled by technological development and deployment. Not only does it include the growing use of digital technologies in all facets of life, but digitalization also brings about new ways of doing things. New business models (such as e-government) are just some examples of these transformations. Nevertheless, transformation does not automatically entail positive processes and results, but can also trigger negative effects. The digital divide is one of the prime illustrations of the various challenges that people must face in the digital age. Taking into account the fact that, similar to other processes of digitalization, the digital divide does not stop at state borders, international organizations must assume a role in channeling them for the better. Multilateralism is the solution, considering that states share similar socioeconomic challenges and interests. By promoting cooperation between three groups of actors (employers, workers, and member states), the International Labour Organization (ILO) ensures that its approach is incorporated in implemented policies or adopted standards. Additionally, the EU also promotes the development of digital economy by supporting digital education in Europe, digitalizing European industry, and other initiatives. These two organizations operate on different scales and with different competences, but they tackle the same challenge. Hence, the aim of the chapter is to discuss the roles of the ILO and the EU in offering guidance and a governance “umbrella.” The challenges and threats resulting from digitalization of the education system, labor market, and institutions are discussed. Additionally, the role of the ILO and the EU in promoting mechanisms, policies, and activities that help their members address digital challenges, which require an upgrade of skills, reskilling and adaptation, is presented.

Chapter 16 is based on case research of smart settlements with a specific focus on Poland. It is written by Agnieszka Domańska and Giuseppe T. Cirella, who focus on the issue of the smart city as a key platform between sustainability and public good. Sustainability is inherently linked to the advancement of the standard of living, mental and physical health care, and protection of the natural environment. These aspects are strongly intertwined with the responsibility and general understanding that public resources should be utilized for the good of communities. This conceptually “obvious” relationship is directly interconnected with urbanization and the idea of smart cities. This can be broken down in two ways: on the one hand, smart cities are meant to serve most of the sustainability goals on a territorial scale, while on the other, in a technical and organizational sense they depend on the public goods and municipally managed resources that enable them to function. Spotlighting key international strategies (e.g., the SDG s), the fostering of inclusive, safe, and resilient cities that better facilitate urban spaces are highlighted in SDG 11. From this perspective, the EU develops delivery initiatives and policy for various smart city projects central to its member states. The focus of this chapter is to show how the two title concepts, “sustainability” (seen from the overall perspective of Agenda 2030) and “smart cities,” are interrelated by definition and through the goals they serve. Linkages between them manifest human needs and present commonalities through various overlapping indicators. Namely, measuring and reporting progress in achieving goals by both and showing how actual practical engagement of given international organizations affects their outcome. Secondarily, the role of international and supranational bodies supporting city smartness is discussed with attention to how the EU supports and funds smart city concepts in Poland. Highlighted projects linking the two title concepts are illustrated.

The volume concludes with a brief evaluation by the book’s editors, Ewa Latoszek and Agnieszka Kłos. They summarize the answers to the research questions provided by the authors of the chapters and reflect on the importance of these contributions.

5 The Book’s Added Value

This publication is an original research work presenting new knowledge about a number of fundamental phenomena and observable facts relating to the role of international organizations in the distribution of global public goods and their contribution to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The added value of the book results from the informed choice of the subject matter; it presents the current situation as well as global and regional challenges from an interdisciplinary perspective. Its value also lies in the skillful selection of global public goods that are discussed, considered by the authors as the most important, in the accuracy of the concepts used and their expert explanation, as well as a remarkable line-up of contributors.

In subsequent chapters, the authors present a multidimensional analysis of the role of selected IO s in mitigating threats that emerge within the global economy and in reconciling the conflicting interests of its members through a more effective management of global goods in the process of implementing the principles of sustainable development. A multifactor analysis of various areas (e.g., external security, trade, financial stability, health, democracy and human rights, migration, green energy, intellectual property law) expounds the essence of IO s and their role in the process of distribution of GPG s and their optimal (effective) management with a perspective of attaining the SDG s.

The publication was prepared by a skillfully selected international and interdisciplinary team of researchers, including distinguished professors and doctors of economics and finance, political science, law, and sociology. Each author is an expert in his/her discipline and subject, conversant with both theory and practice. They are accomplished academics with important scientific achievements, participants in international research projects, members of scientific associations, editors of academic journals, and recognized visiting lecturers at foreign universities. The research team consists of academics from leading research centers, including the University of Gdansk, the Kaunas University of Technology, the Warsaw School of Economics, the Migration Policy Centre of the European University Institute, the University of Economics in Katowice, PRIGO University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the University of Ljubljana, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Warsaw University, and Chernivtsi Jury Fedkovych National Universit. Many combine research work with practice.

6 Target Audience

The book’s impact is threefold: it contributes to the development of theory, practice, and teaching. This book brings a significant added value to both theory and practice (business, public administration and non-governmental organizations), not only as an original and creative piece of work, but also because the analysis of these research areas is an ambitious endeavor aimed at delivering valuable results. Its target audience consists of members of institutions shaping or influencing economic and social policy, such as political parties, trade unions, non-governmental organizations, as well as students and academics. It may also serve as further reading for students of international finance, international economic relations, sustainable development, international organizations, economic development, European studies, global management, and economics. The book is a compendium of knowledge: it introduces and defines the concept of the public good, discusses the essence of IO s and sustainable development, and provides an analysis of selected organizations and the methods they use for the distribution of specific public goods. It has been written with a broad target audience in mind, and with a view to help readers grasp a number of complex issues. Understanding the subject of IO in the context of the distribution of public goods and sustainable development does not require any prior (specialist) knowledge. Conclusions presented by the contributors may serve as a starting point for further research and political debate on the scope of operations and the importance of IO s in the process of optimal (effective) management and the use of a wide range of public goods in implementing the concept of sustainable development.