In the light of the discussions of a new Magna Carta, that will change Mexico City’s status from a Federal District (just like the cities of Bogotá, Washington or Brasilia) into an autonomous city government, the inclusion of international relations as a public policy has become a priority.
On May 23, more than 40 stakeholders – academics, legislators, members of the drafting team of the Constitution for the autonomous city government, entrepreneurs and civil society representatives - gathered in Mexico City to discuss, amongst other topics, the importance of including international relations in the renewed foundational text of the city, which will be adopted in February 2017. According to Mr. Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, the general coordinator of international affairs in the government of Mexico City, “the goal is to ensure Mexico City’s commitment as a responsible global actor”.
The discussions highlighted the necessity to establish an international policy with a proper legal framework, adequate resources and a participatory approach. At the event, Mr. Cárdenas, a former Mayor of Mexico City himself, presented the document “Mexico City in the world: towards a public policy of international relations”. The document is the result of Dialogues for a Global City, which took place between September 2014 and February 2016 financed by the AL-LAs network of Latin American an European cities.
More information on the developments in Mexico City can be found here (in Spanish).