This course explores the relationship between cities, or more broadly the urban, and international law and global governance. With planetary urbanization ongoing, this course takes as broad guiding questions: how is the urban changing international law and global governance, and vice versa? It recognizes the city as an important actor, yet also as a particular site or space – ie the urban – in which and from which international law and global governance takes shape. With SDG11, the international community has moreover put the making of safe, affordable, resilient, inclusive and sustainable cities on its 2030 agenda.
For at least two decades, cities claim a seat at the top table in global affairs and international organisations seek collaboration with cities to see their norms and policies reach people in the urban streets. Yet, the ‘turn to the city’ or ‘the turn to the urban’ reached the fields of international law and international relations relatively late; that is, as an academic sub-field it is rather new. The course starts with some historical, descriptive and conceptual groundwork (Part I), to then bring the guiding questions to thematic sub-questions (Part II), eg around international law- and policy making or the implementation of global norms and policies in an urban context; or, such questions as: who owns the city? What is city diplomacy and how does it (not) contribute to global governance? What role do cities or urban actors play within domains of international law and global governance, which deal with eg Climate Change, Housing, Human Rights, Information and Communication Technologies and so on.
Drinks after our first class to get to know each other.
- Teacher: Janne Nijman