The development agendas of subnational governments in Latin America and around the world increasingly depend on their capacity for successful international integration. With the aim of strengthening the internationalization capacities of the member cities of the BiodiverCities Network, the Center for International Strategies of Governments and Organizations (CIG) of the School of Government of the Universidad Austral and the CAF BiodiverCities Network have initiated a strategic alliance.

This collaboration will enable member cities of the Network to develop key capabilities to:

1. Understand global trends and new agendas with local impact.

2. Identify opportunities for international action for subnational governments, with a special focus on sustainability and climate change issues.

3. Conduct diagnoses and develop internationalization strategies.

4. Better manage the challenges of the new regional and international scenario, especially those related to sustainability and climate change.

The announcement of this alliance was made yesterday, March 17, during the First Meeting of the Network's Board of Directors, held in the city of Luján. Participants in the meeting included Francisco Resnicoff, Senior Fellow of the CIG, representing the CIG; Christian Asinelli, Corporate Vice President of Strategic Programming, representing CAF; and representatives from other partner organizations of the initiative.

The BiodiverCities Network of Latin America and the Caribbean comprises 185 local governments from 17 countries. Its objective is to support the urban and territorial planning and management processes of governments that effectively integrate the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of biodiversity as the foundation of their socioeconomic development and the improvement of people's quality of life.

The Network is promoted by CAF - the development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean - in partnership with the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Research on Biological Resources and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).