Conference: The Legal Roles of Cities in a (De)Globalising World

On March 13-15, 2019, the Asser Institute will hold a conference on "The Legal Roles of Cities in a (De)Globalising World," in The Hague. The program is here. Here's the idea:

We live in an age in which urbanisation, globalisation and decentralisation are reshaping our local, national and international communities, and the way we govern them. Global governance mechanisms and international legal norms affect cities, and in turn, cities have become relevant actors in international law and global governance. Sustainable Development Goal 11 – the pledge to ‘make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’ – is a case in point. This Sustainable Development Goal on cities testifies to both the globalisation of urban governance and the urbanisation of global governance.

United Cities and Local Governments, the largest intercity organisation, for example, plays an important role in sustainable development processes led by the United Nations. And C40, another prominent intercity organisation, is a vocal promotor of global climate change policies. In addition to being active in the international arena, these intercity organisations are, in cooperation with international institutions, localising international norms and thus developing novel - ‘glocal’ - governance mechanisms.

The Cities and international law in the Urban Age conference hosted by the Asser Institute will bring together a very diverse group of internationally renowned researchers working on the changing relationship between cities, international law and governance. The authors will bring a variety of perspectives (historical, theoretical, constitutional, and regional among others) and come from different academic fields (such as climate change, health, security, sports, migration and human rights) and disciplines (international law, international relations, political science, sociology). Presentations will not necessarily be in their final stages, leaving plenty of opportunity for discussions and feedback.

The aim of the conference is to examine a wide range of practical developments and theoretical dimensions of the changing position and role of cities in international law and governance. With that, we hope to enhance the visibility of this development in wider academic circles, and to stimulate a debate that will bring new insights to this developing field.