The city’s international agenda aligns with the main municipal action plans
With the presentation of the Barcelona International Strategy 2025-2029, the City Council makes a commitment for the next four years to implement initiatives to tackle global challenges such as housing and climate change, and to help to achieve the sustainable development goals set out in the 2030 Agenda. The strategy also aims to promote security and coexistence and actively take part in mediation processes for international conflicts.
The strategy is based on the learning gained from the implementation of the Master Plan on International Relations 2020-2023, an essential tool for organising and monitoring the actions of the Directorate for International Relations in recent years.
The document seeks to match international action for the coming years to the city’s main strategic plans (Pla Clima, Pla Viure, Pla Endreça, Pla de Barris and Pla Barcelona Impulsa), and have a direct influence on the European political agenda, particularly on housing, with initiatives such as “Mayors for Housing”, bringing together sixteen mayors from different European cities to stand up for the fundamental role of municipalities in the design and implementation of effective housing policies. The strategy also sets out the commitment to drive initiatives that tackle the climate challenge on a European scale, always looking for international work to generate specific benefits for citizens.
The intention is also to align the strategy with the 2030 Agenda, significantly contributing to fulfilling the sustainable development goals (SDGS) in the local sphere. Five areas of action have been defined for this:
- Barcelona, connected city: with the goal of strengthening strategic alliances on a local, national, regional and international scale to promote the city and learn from other key stakeholders.
- Barcelona, city of opportunities: to position the city as a leading economic, cultural, scientific and technological hub, driving scientific diplomacy as a key tool for influencing the digital agenda and European and international innovation.
- Barcelona, city of rights: to promote the defence of people’s rights, putting them at the centre of international action.
- Barcelona, city committed to the climate: the goal here is to foster a political and financial framework on an international and European scale, favouring the Barcelona model as a climate neutral city.
- Barcelona, city of peace: to participate with other cities and international organisations on projects to promote peace and peaceful societies, as well as offering to mediate in peace negotiations aimed at preventing conflicts and keeping the peace in key locations such as Palestine, Israel, Ukraine and Nicaragua.
