Building City Diplomacy Practices for the Future

City diplomacy is increasingly recognized as a powerful tool for local communities to prosper in a globalized society. In recent years, U.S. mayors are embracing international relations as it relates to their urban priorities, including economic development, cultural cooperation and tackling shared challenges such as cybersecurity, the environment and emergency preparedness.

In spring 2018, the USC Center on Public Diplomacy (CPD) and the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of International Affairs (MOIA) co-hosted the first-ever LA Summit on City Diplomacy. To further the discussion on the vital role of U.S. cities on the world stage, CPD and MOIA jointly hosted the second LA Summit on November 14–15, 2019 at the University of Southern California. The conference convened U.S. city officials, leading scholars, and practitioners to explore the critical issues of governance, policy and community engagement for successful city diplomacy.

This summit comprised public and private engagement opportunities, including by-invitation sessions, a public session, and a skill-building workshop.

Panelists:

• Julie Chappell, Managing Director, International Markets, London and Partners
• Ian Klaus, Senior Fellow, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
• Anthony Pipa, Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institution
• Stacey Jehlik, International Affairs Director, Seattle Office of Intergovernmental Relations
• Moderator: Jay Wang, Director, USC Center on Public Diplomacy

Welcome remarks were provided by Nina Hachigian, Deputy Mayor for International Affairs with the Office of the Mayor of Los Angeles. 

For more information please contact Stacy Ingber at cpdevent@usc.edu or (213) 821-2078.

About City Diplomacy at CPD

This program is part of a CPD initiative on city diplomacy. Below please find highlights from the first LA Summit on City Diplomacy, which provided a framework for creating the first-of-its-kind capacity-building program for effective city diplomacy. Click here to read the summary report, "Building a Robust Capacity Framework for U.S. City Diplomacy."

(Video: USC Annenberg)