WASHINGTON-Truman Center for National Policy (501) (c)(3) is pleased to announce a new Task Force on City and State Diplomacy. Supported by the Open Society Foundations, this effort will address states, cities and other subnational actors as essential participants in foreign policy. 

This Task Force will develop a series of recommendations to broaden diplomatic engagement across America, strengthen ties between the U.S. State Department and U.S. city and state governments, and deepen domestic engagement on transnational issues, including climate change, migration and trade. These recommendations will be developed by Task Force members, building on Truman’s foundational work on subnational diplomacy, including the March 2021 report on Transforming State: Pathways to a More Just, Equitable, and Innovative Institution. 

“Truman is committed to advancing a foreign policy that draws on the strengths of many levels of government,” said Truman’s President & CEO, Jenna Ben-Yehuda. “This Task Force offers an opportunity to deepen and diversify relationships between federal government agencies and local, state, and tribal representatives, in the hopes of broadening domestic influence on foreign policy.”

Erin Bromaghim, Truman Center Senior Visiting Fellow for City & State Diplomacy, and Director of Olympic & Paralympic Development for the city of Los Angeles, will facilitate the Task Force, with participating member co-chairs:

         · U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn

“Mayors, governors, and state legislatures have the potential to play an enormous role in advancing our foreign policy goals, and I’m proud to co-chair this Truman Center Task Force to make sure the U.S. takes full advantage of these untapped resources. It’s time to get smart about investing in state and local diplomacy if we want to strengthen our leadership on the world stage and tackle challenges we’re facing at home and abroad,” said Murphy.

· Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Secretary of State 

“The city and state officials who are on the ground every day serving the public are an invaluable resource to understanding what works and does not work in our government,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “The partnerships this Task Force can foster will help ensure federal and international officials are tapping into that resource and working collaboratively to improve public health and good, in the United States and abroad.”

· Mayor Andre Dickens, Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia

“As a global hub for innovation, commerce, technology, entertainment and so much more, Atlanta truly influences everything,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “Thank you to the Truman Center for the opportunity to serve on the Task Force on City and State Diplomacy, and for recognizing the important role cities play in shaping national and global initiatives.”

· Ambassador Nina Hachigian, Deputy Mayor for International Affairs for the City of Los Angeles

“Increasingly American cities and states are active on the world stage. They play a critical role in addressing transnational challenges like climate change and COVID and can serve as a bridge from national policy to individual Americans. I am thrilled to be a part of the Truman Center’s Task Force on City and State Diplomacy to explore how we can strengthen these connections and build a foreign policy for all Americans.”

· U.S. Representative Ted W. Lieu, D-CA-33

“For years, American mayors and governors have been engaging with their foreign counterparts around the globe, supporting U.S. trade and investment, facilitating cooperation on the environment, and improving the health and safety of citizens. It’s in the interest of the United States to dedicate federal resources to support these engagements and further strengthen American foreign policy. That’s why I’ve introduced bipartisan legislation in Congress, the City and State Diplomacy Act, to establish an Office of City and State Diplomacy at the State Department. I’m honored to co-chair the new Truman Center Task Force on City and State Diplomacy alongside this group of esteemed leaders. Together, we will work to ensure the United States fully utilizes the talent of city and state leaders in building new global connections and advancing our foreign policy goals.”

The Task Force report will be published in the first half of 2022 and address how U.S. cities and states currently engage in diplomacy and foreign policy and explore opportunities for capacity building and collaboration between these groups, the State Department, and partners around the world. 

“City and state diplomacy offers an opportunity for us to think differently about how we carry out our foreign policy and how we make those policies deliver for the American people,” said Erin Bromaghin. “I am thrilled to lead this Truman Center Task Force in exploring how we can strengthen ties between the state department and our local governments and communities around the country – and in the process – incorporate broader viewpoints, leverage new connections, and build more innovative, representative, and resilient engagement with our partners around the world.”

To learn more about city and state-level diplomacy, you can view Truman Center’s digital resources here.