As cities increasingly become influential actors on the global stage, they need to invest in resources, expertise, and capacity to manage their relationships and responsibilities to conduct city diplomacy effectively. A new report by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs think tank and University College London’s City Leadership Lab takes a look at how city governments are actively connecting and collaborating on a global scale.
Having considered 27 global cities, including Kyoto and Tokyo, the report’s findings suggest that:
• The majority of cities have an international strategy and a dedicated international office
• The city budget for global engagement is often minimal
• Only a few cities reported that their staff has undergone dedicated training for city diplomacy
• A majority of cities participate in international networks
• A majority of cities reported that city diplomacy has had a positive impact on their cities
You can download the report here. JLGC London assisted the authors with data collected on Kyoto and Tokyo.
