DLR Projektträger and SciTechDiploHub Barcelona are organising a Brussels Talks event entitled 'Urban Diplomacy: Cities as Partners & Innovators in Diplomacy?' on Tuesday 8 November from 12:30-15:00 at 98 Rue du Trône, Brussels. 

Urban Diplomacy identifies municipalities as key players in the formulation and implementation of foreign policy. Similar to Science Diplomacy, urban diplomacy provides an emerging opportunity to foster international cooperation. In times of turmoil, it can help to keep communications channels open and by doing so, create new spaces for discussion and cooperation.

Urban diplomacy is also an important component in solving global challenges. The approval of the UN Urban Agenda and the European Urban Agenda in 2016 had already revealed the growing importance of cities all around the world. Since then, urban diplomacy has established itself as a practice of utmost importance to tackle the challenging issues of the future.

Cities and municipalities are now seen as key innovators in global transformation processes, operating very successfully on the national and international level in networks like the World Urban Forum, ICLEI and EUROCITIES. The EU Cities Mission as well as national initiatives like the German Smart Cities Model Projects (MPSC) acknowledge and foster this dynamic by promoting the European vision of sustainable development worldwide through municipal networks.

Discussion points include:

• What is the role of cities in answering global challenges? What can they contribute / what not?
• What distinguishes urban diplomacy from traditional town twinning and other established formats in international municipal exchange?
• What innovative tools and instruments does urban diplomacy offer for shaping foreign relations, especially in times of turmoil?
• How can national governments and the EU strategically align urban diplomacy with their foreign agenda and vice versa – without clipping the independence of municipalities?
• What does urban diplomacy mean in the context of the EU Cities Mission?

A light networking lunch will be available between 12:30 and 13:00. 

To register for the event, please email Landry Charrier at landry.charrier@dlr.de, places are limited.