Debate on City Diplomacy
Spring Session of the Congress
13-14 March 2008 - Malaga, Spain

City diplomacy, a conflict resolution tool for local authorities

In his report on “city diplomacy”, rapporteur Onno van Veldhuizen (Netherlands, L, IDLG) notes that cities have become major political players on the international stage and help, via their networks, to build and consolidate peace in distant parts of the globe. City diplomacy is the tool used by local authorities and their associations to promote conflict prevention and resolution and post-conflict reconstruction.
In the texts adopted in Malaga, the Congress called on local authorities to structure their activities in the field of diplomacy and conflict resolution. It also undertook to continue supporting the Local Democracy Agencies, the North-South Centre and the Municipal Alliance for Peace in their efforts to use city diplomacy, and to continue its work to establish a dialogue between European and Arab cities.
The Congress also recommended that the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers should encourage member states to support city diplomacy activities and should also acknowledge the potential of city diplomacy for strengthening intercultural dialogue in the White Paper it is preparing on this issue.
An awareness of the growing role of cities in conflict resolution is reflected in the holding of the first world conference on city diplomacy, to be held in The Hague, Netherlands, from 11 to 13 June 2008 with the participation of the Congress.

Recommendation
Resolution
Explanatory report

Onno van Veldhuizen:''City diplomacy is becoming an area of excellence for the Congress'' (more...)
 
Interview
 
focus

Congress President calls on Israeli authorities to stop expropriation of land of Palestinian communities (more...)


debates

Sustainable development
City diplomacy
The new Urban Charter
Local and regional democracy in Spain
Other debates

 
adopted texts

Recommendations
Resolutions


documents

Summary of the reports
Interviews
Speeches

 

practical information

Session guide (pdf)
Brochure of the city of Malaga (pdf)
All the practical information


venue

Palais des Congrès Avenida Ortega y Gasset, 201
29006 Málaga
Spain


press contact

Congress Communication Unit
Dmitri Marchenkov
Head of Communication Unit
Tel.: + 33 (0)3 88 41 38 44
Email