Transregional City Cooperation: Comparative Analysis of Latin American and European Experience

The development of regional cooperation as a means of partnership between countries and regions has been ongoing for decades. Global practice confirms that the establishment of a modern framework for cooperation is based not only on international collaboration, but also on the level of sub-national entities. Inter-municipal cooperation, which extends beyond twinning and intercultural exchange, aims to promote territorial development, foster innovative growth, and enhance the sustainability of cities today. International contacts between cities date back to pre-modern times, but they have significantly increased since the Second World War. In Europe, this has been facilitated by post-war socio-economic reconstruction and reconciliation, with cities in France and Germany establishing active twinning relationships initially. In other regions, cooperation between cities has been supported by centralized national and federal initiatives, such as the People-to-people Diplomacy Program launched by President Eisenhower in 1956. Currently, approximately 70% of cities participate in international partnerships, with 68% of these partnerships being implemented through international associations. Notable examples include the Mayors for Peace Association founded in 1982, The Global Network for Safe Cities was established by UN-Habitat in 2012, Local governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) was founded in 1990,The World United Nations City and Local Government (CGLU) was founded in 2004, Mercosur, a network of cities, was founded in 1959. At the same time, these organizations can be trans-regional, uniting cities from different parts of the world. An example is the cooperation between Mercosur and the Spanish autonomous region of Catalonia. This report presents the results of a comparative analysis of transregional cooperation between Latin American cities and distant territorial entities, as well as similar experiences from European cities. The analysis is supported methodologically by a comprehensive theoretical framework and highlights cooperation models through real examples.