Sharing a sense of common identity with a group has been shown to act as a potent instrument to improve cooperation within the group. This article explores the thesis that a specific type of social identity – i.e. identification with the world as a whole, or ‘global-we’ identity – can improve cooperation of a specific type, i.e. global cooperation. I report results from an experimental research conducted in six countries spanning a broad range of the globalization spectrum. The research finds a strong correlation between global-we identity and individual propensity to cooperate with global others. I also present the results of statistical analyses supporting the idea that this eviSharing a sense of common identity with a group has been shown to act as a potent instrument to improve cooperation within the group. This article explores the thesis that a specific type of social identity – i.e. identification with the world as a whole, or ‘global-we’ identity – can improve cooperation of a specific type, i.e. global cooperation. I report results from an experimental research conducted in six countries spanning a broad range of the globalization spectrum. The research finds a strong correlation between global-we identity and individual propensity to cooperate with global others. I also present the results of statistical analyses supporting the idea that this eviSharing a sense of common identity with a group has been shown to act as a potent instrument to improve cooperation within the group. This article explores the thesis that a specific type of social identity – i.e. identification with the world as a whole, or ‘global-we’ identity – can improve cooperation of a specific type, i.e. global cooperation. I report results from an experimental research conducted in six countries spanning a broad range of the globalization spectrum. The research finds a strong correlation between global-we identity and individual propensity to cooperate with global others. I also present the results of statistical analyses supporting the idea that this evidence is not merely correlational, but follows a specific theoretical hypothesis. Participation in global networks fosters a sense of global-we identity with global others, which in turn strengthens the propensity to cooperate on a global scale. The article seeks to illustrate the theoretical and empirical foundations lying behind this ‘cosmopolitan’ mechanism. I also analyse the reciprocity patterns that act as strong motivating factors. The higher the expectation of others’ cooperation from others, the higher one's propensity to cooperate. On the basis of these results, a tentative agenda for the ‘global-minded’ policy maker is offered. This emphasises the need to increase inter-personal connections on a global scale, and to construct social choices in global terms rather than in more narrow national terms.