Paradiplomacy: Cities and States as Global Players

by Rodrigo Tavares

Overview

Orthodox international relations theory considers foreign affairs to be the exclusive purview of national governments. Yet as Rodrigo Tavares demonstrates, the vast majority of leading sub-states and cities are currently practicing foreign affairs, both bilaterally and multilaterally. Subnational governments in Asia, the Americas, Europe and Africa are changing traditional notions of sovereignty, diplomacy, and foreign policy as they carry out diplomatic endeavors and establish transnational networks around areas such as education, healthcare, climate change, waste management, or transportation. In fact, subnational activity and activism in the international arena is growing at a rate that far exceeds that carried out by the traditional representatives of sovereign states. Paradiplomacy is the definitive first practitioner's guide to foreign policy at the subnational level. In this seminal work, Tavares draws from a unique pool of best practices and case studies from all over the world to provide a comprehensive and critical overview of the conceptual, juridical, operational, organizational, governmental and diplomatic parameters of paradiplomacy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190462147
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	08/01/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

Rodrigo Tavares is the CEO of Granito & Partners and a Research Fellow at UN University (UNU-CRIS). He served as Head of the Office of Foreign Affairs of São Paulo's State Government (2011-2014), and was a Senior Research Fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Chapter One: Essentials of Paradiplomacy Chapter Two: Institutional Infrastructure of Paradiplomacy Chapter Three: External Policies by Subnational Governments Chapter Four: Case Studies: Subnational Governments in Action Chapter Five: Challenges Ahead Notes References Index

Editorial Reviews

"Paradiplomacy sheds light upon one of the great challenges of our times. It is essential reading at a time when city diplomacy is an ever-growing global phenomenon, and when local powers are taking more and more the roles of central powers. By uncovering the tremendous potential of hundreds of external policies that we, Mayors, are pursuing together, the book shows how city diplomacy may bring a collective answer to the challenges we are facing. Rodrigo Tavares fully embraces the singularity of local powers and the universality of their engagement. By doing so, he highlights one of the most significant trends in our century."
—Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, Chair of C40, Chair of International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF)

"The increasing frequency and intensity of government-to-government international exchange make this well researched book overdue. Mayors are problem solvers who daily exercise wide-ranging executive authority. Their international exchanges may be driven by local economic imperatives, but as often result from frustration with federal inaction, inflexibility or inattention. Rodrigo Tavares' Paradiplomacy effectively places this growing trend in historical context and highlights our options moving ahead."
—Annise Parker, Mayor of Houston (2010-2016) Steering Committee member, World Energy Cities Partnership (WECP) and C40

"Most of the world's population now live in cities; and Rodrigo Tavares shows that city and sub-national governments play a critical role in helping the world to deal with climate change, social equity and economic growth".
—Linda J. Bilmes, Daniel Patrick Moynihan Senior Lecturer in Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University

"This book gives paradiplomacy the place it deserves in the diplomacy literature! It is a suitable reference book for both practitioners such as diplomats and government officials, and academics interested in the changing nature of multilateralism."
—Luk Van Langenhove, United Nations University

"Rodrigo Tavares' book substantially enriches the literature on paradiplomacy. It provides tons of interesting and well-organized new material, and will need to be read by anybody working on the international relations of sub-state entities."
—André Lecours, University of Ottawa

"Through the Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative, the IDB has witnessed the prominent role that Latin American cities play in the region's affairs and the importance of city-to-city international cooperation. Tavares' Paradiplomacy is mandatory reading to whoever wishes to understand why subnational international cooperation is key to solving the sustainability challenges of our increasingly urban future."
— Ellis J. Juan, former General Coordinator of the Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative (ESCI) and current Chief of the Housing and Urban Development Division (HUD) at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

From the Publisher