The Evolution of City Diplomacy in Africa: Impact, Potential, and Ongoing Challenges of African Cities’ International Activities.
Over the past decades, African cities have ranked among the leading players in the evolution of city diplomacy. Indeed, municipalities across the continent have gone beyond simply adapting to shifting trends in international cooperation. They have been shaping the current partnership approach that sees local authorities worldwide working together to pursue shared goals and address common urban challenges such as climate change, migration, and social justice.
This paper employs an analysis of the three main evolutionary stages of African city diplomacy to identify the quantitative and qualitative elements that have propelled the emergence of African urban leadership on the regional and global stage. Furthermore, the comparative study of international city networks’ membership and leadership on the continent provides evidence of processes of cities’ internationalization that, while strongly driven by expanding demographic and economic indicators, are not strictly defined by them. The lens of city diplomacy thus casts light on how local African leaders transform into reality a vision placing international relations at the service of sustainable urban development.
The paper concludes with an analysis of the main challenges that still limit the full deployment of city diplomacy in Africa, offering insights on how to address them.
- Watch this interview to find out more about Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi's work on city diplomacy in Africa
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The Influence of Strategic Subnational Diplomacy in International Relations
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The Evolution of City Diplomacy in Africa: Impact, Potential, and Ongoing Challenges of African Cities’ International Activities.
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