What is City Diplomacy?

According to Rogier Van Der Pluijm and Jan Melissen (2007), City Diplomacy is “defined as the institutions and processes by which cities, or local governments in general, engage in relations with actors on an international political stage with the aim of representing themselves and their interests to one another.”

That is, the international action that subnational governments deliberately foster, either with counterparts of other countries or by linking in global networks.