Of the cities surveyed, Washington, DC may be the smallest in terms of area, but the District arguably wields the greatest global influence in terms of international political power. As the seat of the world’s most politically engaged state, just down the coast from New York, and a short flight from political centers in Europe, Washington is a hub of political activity year-round. It is also home to the single largest urban concentration of international organizations and think tanks on the globe, including the headquarters of both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, as well as the renowned Brookings Institution.
Geneva, Switzerland is the UN’s second home; the world body’s European headquarters. The UN’s human rights wing is based in Geneva, alongside numerous other international organizations including the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Geneva played a pivotal role in shaping the political evolution of the modern era, particularly as the site of four Geneva Conventions signed in 1864, 1906, 1929 and 1949.
Vienna, Austria bustles with international organizations, ranging from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Vienna is also a diplomatic entrepôt, hosting about as many embassies and consulates as New York and DC. For that reason, many modern international treaties and other documents were signed there, including the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, which solidified the bedrock of modern international law.
Brussels, Belgium hosts two of the Western world’s most powerful international institutions: the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). As the 2010 GCI notes, “While Brussels...is strong in number of embassies and think tanks, it hosts fewer international organizations and local institutions with international reach than New York and Washington.” But, for better or worse, Brussels has become a key global political player in 2011: The EU’s executive branch—the European Commission—has been the central meeting ground to resolve a European debt crisis that now threatens the world economy. The Commission represents the political arm of a “troika” of international institutions spearheading the debt crisis. The IMF and the European Central Bank (ECB) are the troika’s financial arms.
Paris, France excels in three of the 2010 GCI’s categories, hosting about as many international organizations as both New York and DC, a comparable number of embassies and consulates as the two American cities, and is third in line for most local institutions with international reach. Headquarters of some of the more notable international organizations in Paris are the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Chamber of Commerce.
Tokyo, Japan: The Globalization and World Cities Research Network classifies Tokyo as an Alpha + city along with only a handful of other global cities. According to the 2010 GCI, Tokyo has the second largest concentration of think tanks worldwide, as many embassies and consulates as DC and Brussels, and about as many international organizations as Vienna. It is a key political power broker not only in East Asia, but the world at large.
Cairo, Egypt, as the largest urban center in Africa and the Middle East, is a crossroads of world politics. Not least because it straddles the border of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), but because it lies near the banks of the Suez Canal, a vital international trade route. With about as many international organizations, embassies, and consulates as Brussels, along with a large number of local institutions with international reach, Cairo is MENA’s political capital and, with sweeping reforms underway, its political reach could soon extend globally.
The most influential cities in global political affairs are concentrated in the West, due to the political-economic dominance of Europe and the U.S. following World War II. But the balance of power has been undergoing a shift toward rapidly developing countries in recent decades. In particular, the BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — are at the forefront of this transition. Beijing is already established as a global political player in terms of number of embassies and consulates, think tanks, and local institutions with international reach—ahead of Vienna in the latter two categories. But it still lacks a significant amount of international organizations and political conferences.
According to the Knight Frank Wealth Report, “Mumbai, Moscow, and Sao Paulo...look set for a dramatic upswing in their status, with each expected to climb by between six and eight places over the next decade.” All are expected to be in Knight Frank’s top 12 by 2020, with Mumbai making the biggest jump in rank, from 38th to 7th. The 2010 GCI makes a note to watch out for “the increased political significance of Mexico City, Istanbul, and Cairo in an increasingly global diplomatic system.”
This article was originally published in the December 2011 Global Cities issue.
a global affairs media network
Cities and Political Prowess
January 14, 2012
Of the cities surveyed, Washington, DC may be the smallest in terms of area, but the District arguably wields the greatest global influence in terms of international political power. As the seat of the world’s most politically engaged state, just down the coast from New York, and a short flight from political centers in Europe, Washington is a hub of political activity year-round. It is also home to the single largest urban concentration of international organizations and think tanks on the globe, including the headquarters of both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, as well as the renowned Brookings Institution.
Geneva, Switzerland is the UN’s second home; the world body’s European headquarters. The UN’s human rights wing is based in Geneva, alongside numerous other international organizations including the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Geneva played a pivotal role in shaping the political evolution of the modern era, particularly as the site of four Geneva Conventions signed in 1864, 1906, 1929 and 1949.
Vienna, Austria bustles with international organizations, ranging from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Vienna is also a diplomatic entrepôt, hosting about as many embassies and consulates as New York and DC. For that reason, many modern international treaties and other documents were signed there, including the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, which solidified the bedrock of modern international law.
Brussels, Belgium hosts two of the Western world’s most powerful international institutions: the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). As the 2010 GCI notes, “While Brussels...is strong in number of embassies and think tanks, it hosts fewer international organizations and local institutions with international reach than New York and Washington.” But, for better or worse, Brussels has become a key global political player in 2011: The EU’s executive branch—the European Commission—has been the central meeting ground to resolve a European debt crisis that now threatens the world economy. The Commission represents the political arm of a “troika” of international institutions spearheading the debt crisis. The IMF and the European Central Bank (ECB) are the troika’s financial arms.
Paris, France excels in three of the 2010 GCI’s categories, hosting about as many international organizations as both New York and DC, a comparable number of embassies and consulates as the two American cities, and is third in line for most local institutions with international reach. Headquarters of some of the more notable international organizations in Paris are the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Chamber of Commerce.
Tokyo, Japan: The Globalization and World Cities Research Network classifies Tokyo as an Alpha + city along with only a handful of other global cities. According to the 2010 GCI, Tokyo has the second largest concentration of think tanks worldwide, as many embassies and consulates as DC and Brussels, and about as many international organizations as Vienna. It is a key political power broker not only in East Asia, but the world at large.
Cairo, Egypt, as the largest urban center in Africa and the Middle East, is a crossroads of world politics. Not least because it straddles the border of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), but because it lies near the banks of the Suez Canal, a vital international trade route. With about as many international organizations, embassies, and consulates as Brussels, along with a large number of local institutions with international reach, Cairo is MENA’s political capital and, with sweeping reforms underway, its political reach could soon extend globally.
The most influential cities in global political affairs are concentrated in the West, due to the political-economic dominance of Europe and the U.S. following World War II. But the balance of power has been undergoing a shift toward rapidly developing countries in recent decades. In particular, the BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — are at the forefront of this transition. Beijing is already established as a global political player in terms of number of embassies and consulates, think tanks, and local institutions with international reach—ahead of Vienna in the latter two categories. But it still lacks a significant amount of international organizations and political conferences.
According to the Knight Frank Wealth Report, “Mumbai, Moscow, and Sao Paulo...look set for a dramatic upswing in their status, with each expected to climb by between six and eight places over the next decade.” All are expected to be in Knight Frank’s top 12 by 2020, with Mumbai making the biggest jump in rank, from 38th to 7th. The 2010 GCI makes a note to watch out for “the increased political significance of Mexico City, Istanbul, and Cairo in an increasingly global diplomatic system.”
This article was originally published in the December 2011 Global Cities issue.
