Document Actions

Transnational city networks and international organizations as collaborative norm advocates? A Comparative Analysis of Inter-Institutional Collaborations in the Context of the Negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda

Author: Jacob Manderbach

Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Helmut Breitmeier

 

“Our struggle for global sustainability will be won or lost in cities.” This statement by former Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, underlines the “transformative power” of cities for sustainable development. Since the late 1980s, transnational city networks (TCNs) have emerged as “new” actors and municipal representatives in global sustainability governance. To expand their scope of action, they seek collaboration with international organizations. By applying a qualitative comparative perspective to the negotiation process of the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda, the project examines how these collaborations affect the ability of TCNs to act as advocates for global norms.