29 October 2025. The International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia programme held its first session on Subnational Diplomacy and International Engagement, bringing together 31 participants from across the region to exchange experiences and insights on how cities and regions can strengthen their global partnerships and diplomatic capacity.
The session, moderated by Pablo Gándara, IURC Asia & Australasia Team Leader, opened a new thematic line under the programme’s cooperation clusters, leading up to the upcoming in-person workshop at the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC25) in Barcelona.
Strengthening City Diplomacy through Knowledge and Networks
Pietro Reviglio, Policy and Research Advisor at Eurocities, presented results from two surveys on international engagement.
- The European survey, covering 24 cities, revealed that most have established Brussels offices and dedicated EU departments, but highlighted the need to bridge administrative capacity gaps across departments.
- A global survey of 49 cities from 28 countries showed that climate action and economic development are the top drivers of city diplomacy, with sister-city links and networks remaining central to international engagement.
Reviglio noted that more cities now provide formal training in diplomacy and benefit from closer coordination with national governments, indicating a growing recognition of subnational diplomacy as a key instrument of global policy influence.
Framework for Effective Subnational Diplomacy
Nicolas Gharbi, IURC expert on subnational diplomacy and international engagement, outlined a framework for building strategic local capacity and ensuring that cities and regions can represent their interests effectively at the global level.
He proposed five core elements:
- Build local capacity for purposeful, informed engagement.
- Strengthen national security and resilience by enhancing local awareness.
- Promote the value and impact of subnational diplomacy.
- Foster multilevel dialogue between local and national authorities.
- Deepen ties among allies through shared democratic values.
Gharbi also presented the concept of a Community of Practice on Subnational Diplomacy and International Engagement, envisioned as a platform to develop strategic guidance, share experiences, and co-create practical tools for city and regional leaders.
Insights from Asia: Multi-Level Governance in Practice
Amadeo Jensana, Director of Casa Asia, shared examples of multi-level governance models in Asia, focusing on collaborations with Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government of Catalonia, and the City Councils of Barcelona and Madrid.
He noted that 50% of international delegations visiting Barcelona come from Asia, underscoring the region’s importance in city diplomacy. Jensana compared governance structures across Asian countries—from China’s centralised model to Japan’s decentralised system and India’s hybrid commissioner-mayor framework—and identified port diplomacy, maritime cooperation, and research partnerships as areas of strong potential.
Interactive Exchange and Next Steps
During the open discussion, participants reflected on the growing relevance of city diplomacy in shaping global cooperation. They shared experiences from existing networks and programmes, identified resource and coordination challenges, and expressed strong interest in joining a Community of Practice to further develop this topic under IURC Asia & Australasia.
As next steps, IURC will:
- Host an in-person workshop on Subnational Diplomacy and International Engagement on 4 November 2025 (16:10–18:00 CET) at the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC25) in Barcelona.
- Launch a survey to gather more data on city and regional engagement practices.