How do global policy, global governance, and international law keep up with an urbanising planet?

That is one of the questions that triggered me to develop this Course. It is challenging as we need to relate to developments as we walk through the streets of our cities. No city is the same. Cities are more than just buildings, infrastructure, and streets— they are dynamic spaces where international law and governance take shape and play out in everyday life. In an era of planetary urbanization, cities are stepping up as global actors, negotiating global policies, implementing international norms, and tackling critical issues like climate change, migration, human rights, and digital governance. But beyond legal frameworks and policy negotiations, what do these shifts mean for the daily lives of urban inhabitants? How does international law interact with the lived experiences of people in cities worldwide? How do cities and social movements in cities influence and navigate global governance structures? How do they influence lawmaking – like the plastic pollution treaty or the pandemics treaty? How do they implement and develop human rights? Cities are also increasingly active in our city Geneva and around the Institute in international organisations – urban spaces are sites of power and resistance. 

This course takes a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from international law, political science, urban studies, and sociology to explore the urban as both a space of governance and a site of contestation. Many global cities today were shaped by colonial histories, with legacies of segregation, spatial inequality, and economic dependency still influencing contemporary urban governance. We must consider the postcolonial dimension of urban governance and international law. How do these colonial legacies continue to manifest in global governance frameworks? How do cities that were once colonial outposts, such as Mumbai, Lagos, or Jakarta, reclaim agency in shaping international law and policies? Through a mix of theoretical insights and real-world case studies, we will examine:

• Human Rights Cities: How cities like Gwangju and Mexico City are embedding human rights principles in local governance, reshaping global human rights advocacy ‘from below’. We ask:
  Who Owns the City? Examine the battle over urban space in cases of housing crises such as in Barcelona and Nairobi.
• City Diplomacy in Action: How networks like UCLG (the UN of city governments) shape e.g. global climate policy—and how this affects local communities. Who steer these networks and define their policy agenda’s?
• Smart Cities & Governance: The promise and perils of digital governance, from Singapore’s surveillance infrastructure to Amsterdam’s fight for data sovereignty.

By engaging with these topics, students will develop critical analytical and policy-oriented skills, preparing them for careers in international law, global governance, urban planning, and beyond. This course challenges you to think beyond the state and explore how global legal and political processes are embedded in the urban landscapes we inhabit every day.