PRIVIGO

Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) such as the World Health Organization or International Maritime Organization have always been assumed to work for the public good. Yet, they also engage the private sector in many ways. Some are funded by the private sector or set up public-private partnerships; IGOs themselves act and compete on markets when procuring goods and services or when marketing their own services; and their operations and standard-setting activities inevitably affect the distribution of benefits between private parties. Like most organizations, IGOs allocate costs and benefits, and therewith affect the private sector. IGOs are said to exercise functions on behalf of member states and for the public good, yet the encounter with the private sector may see them act in tension with this public mission. PRIVIGO will investigate this tension, first, by examining how widespread private sector involvement is and how IGO law responds to this involvement. Second, PRIVIGO will examine how the underlying

2021

2025