What do International City Networks Contribute to Global Governance? Towards a Better Conceptual and Empirical Assessment

Figures & data

Table

Association of Cities and Regions for Sustainable Resource Management

Association of North East Asia Regional Governments

C40 Cities

Cities for Mobility

CITYNET

Climate Alliance

Energy Cities

Eurocities

European Association for Local Democracy

European Forum of Urban Security

European Land and Soil Alliance

FMDV – Global Fund for Cities Development

Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy

Ibero-American Center for Strategic Urban Development

International Association for Peace Messenger Cities

International Association of Educating Cities

Leading Cities

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability

Mayors for Peace

MedCities

Metropolis

Organisation of Islamic Capitals and Cities

Organisation of World Heritage Cities

POLIS

Réseau Art Noveau Network

Resilient Cities Network

UNESCO Creative Cities Network

United Cities and Local Governments

World Energy Cities Partnership

World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization

Source: Own account.

Table 1. Results of analysing 30 international city networks.

Network Overview	Range	Median
Number of network members	10–240,000	199
Percentage of city members in network	11.39–100	87.28
Network founded in year	1980–2020	1994
Countries/Territories represented in network	7–166	38
Network Mission Articulation	Number	Percent
Document referring to missions	30	100
Networks with explicit mission statement	20	66.67
Alternative or additional documents	25	83.33
Network Membership	Number	Percent
Includes only city members	10	33.33
Includes other governmental members	17	56.67
Includes private members	9	30
Includes NGO members	10	33.33
Network Founding Initiative	Number	Percent
Networks initiated by city members (bottom-up)	24	80
Networks initiated by IOs (top-down)	6	20
Intra-Organisational Structure	Number	Percent
Networks with secretariat	23	76.67
Networks with multiple governance units	27	90
Reported Network Funding	Number	Percent
Networks report only governmental funding	8	26.67
Networks report funding from other sources	21	70
of which funding from IOs	8	38.10
of which funding from private actors	13	61.90
of which funding from civil society	18	85.71
Issues Addressed by Networks
Multi-Issue Network	15	50
Single-Issue Network	15	50
International Linkages of Networks	Number	Percent
Linkages to global IOs reported	18	60
Linkages to regional IOs reported	20	66.67
of which the EU is the regional organisation	13	65
Linkages to global and regional IOs reported	13	43.33
Explicit Aims of Networks	Number	Percent
Any aim	30	100
Networking	19	63.33
Exchange and learning	25	83.33
Representation	8	26.67
Internationalised orientation	13	43.33
Implementation	12	40
Leadership	8	26.67
Explicit Activities Related to Global Norms	Number	Percent
Adoption	20	66.67
Modification	5	16.67
Initiation	1	3.33
None of these explicit	10	33.33

Source: Own account.