Historically speaking, before the emergence of national states in Europe, the dominant actors of foreign policy have been already cities. But latest after the Westphalian Peace in 1648 nations and their representatives became - till today - the main and super dominant actors in diplomacy and foreign cooperation. Today, the whole post WW2 international public law bases most of on contracts between states. But is that still contemporary and sustainable?
Various arguments can be instead highlighted for the need and emergence of influence for city diplomacy. On the one hand, since 21st century more than half of the world population is living in cities, prognoses show even higher shares for the next 30 years. Megacities like London, Tokyo or Istanbul are more inhabited that small and medium size nations.
Table of Contents
1. Position Paper
2. References
Objectives and Themes
This position paper explores the evolving role of cities as active participants in international relations, critically examining whether "city diplomacy" is shifting the traditional geopolitical landscape dominated by nation-states and how subnational entities navigate contemporary global challenges.
- Historical context and the transition from city-centric to state-centric diplomacy.
- Economic, political, and social drivers for the emergence of city diplomacy.
- Institutional limits and the tension between local agency and national sovereignty.
- Future prospects and the complex interplay between municipal influence and national geopolitical agendas.
Excerpt from the Book
Arguments for a demand of city diplomacy
Various arguments can be instead highlighted for the need and emergence of influence for city diplomacy. On the one hand, since 21st century more than half of the world population is living in cities, prognoses show even higher shares for the next 30 years. Mega cities like London, Tokyo or Istanbul are more inhabited that small and medium size nations. Furthermore
"[c]ities are economic and political powerhouses. The GDP of the state of New York is larger than that of Spain or South Korea. In Latin America, São Paulo state alone is richer than Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia combined. Guangdong in China is wealthier than Russia or Mexico." (Tavares 2016).
So, cities contribute most often a lot to national state budgets and because of inner country allocation, they get less money back from national government, than they earned. This fact is at the same time strengthening the negotiating power of cities in national politics because national budgets are depending on their "powerhouses".
Additionally, cities are often described as incubators (Cabral et al 2014: 1) for new technologies and creative ideas, as avantgarde of social change. Furthermore, "local governments use the argument of efficiency in the design and implementation of public policies due to their closeness to the citizenry" (Gutiérrez-Camps 2013: 51). La Porte (2012) conceptualize city diplomacy by two features: first that the international action should be minimalize institutionalized and second the motivation for the actions should be one or several political goals.
Summary of Chapters
1. Position Paper: This chapter analyzes the historical transition of diplomatic power, argues for the growing relevance of cities in modern geopolitics, and examines the opportunities and limitations of subnational actors in international relations.
2. References: This section provides a comprehensive bibliography of the academic literature, policy briefs, and research papers cited throughout the position paper.
Key Terms
City Diplomacy, Geopolitics, Nation-states, Subnational actors, Foreign policy, Urbanization, Para-diplomacy, Soft power, Globalization, Multi-layered system, International relations, Municipal governance, Global politics, Legislative competence, Institutionalization
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper examines the rising influence of cities in international diplomacy and questions whether they are becoming key players in a geopolitical landscape traditionally dominated by nation-states.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The central themes include the emergence of city diplomacy, the economic power of major urban centers, the legislative constraints placed on cities by national governments, and the future evolution of international relations.
What is the core research question or objective?
The objective is to analyze if city diplomacy represents a sustainable, contemporary shift in global politics that can effectively bypass or complement the traditional, state-centric, Westphalian diplomatic model.
Which methodology is applied in the study?
The paper utilizes a critical geopolitics approach, analyzing existing academic scholarship, historical trends, and contemporary case studies to interpret the shifting dynamics between subnational and national actors.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section covers arguments for the necessity of city diplomacy, the conceptualization of its dimensions, the limitation of legislative powers, and a ten-year forecast on how cities will interact with national and supra-national entities.
Which keywords characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as City Diplomacy, Geopolitics, Subnational actors, Multi-layered system, and Soft power, reflecting the intersection of local governance and international affairs.
How does the author interpret the role of national states in the coming decade?
The author argues that while national states will remain the primary actors in global politics over the next ten years, the influence of globally networked cities will grow rapidly.
What are the limitations of city diplomacy identified in the text?
The text highlights that city diplomacy is frequently restricted by legislative competences and the lack of deep expertise or capacity within city administrations compared to traditional state diplomats.
How does the author view the potential for private-sector sponsorship in city diplomacy?
The author expresses skepticism, noting that while private sponsoring acts as an influential driving force, it risks undermining democratic legitimacy and may lead to cities being captured by private interests.
Why might city diplomacy increase the complexity of global politics?
The author suggests that if cities begin to counteract or actively oppose national and supra-national policies, the coherence of foreign policy will become significantly harder for central governments to manage.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Carlo Hohnstedter (Autor:in), 2021, The Future of City Diplomacy in Geopolitics. A Position Paper, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1259015
