The most important lesson left by the pandemic is not medical, but geopolitical: cities can no longer limit themselves to managing streetlights, waste collection, and permits. In a world where public health, supply chains, and international mobility intersect every day, local governments have become actors of practical diplomacy. Global networks such as United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) and C40 reinforced a principle that Mexican municipalities should adopt as a stra

International city networks have become the new political infrastructure of the 21st century. They are spaces where local governments cooperate to influence rules, attract financing, share technical capabilities, and accelerate projects. They do not replace national diplomacy; they make it operational on the ground. In an era where supply chains, energy transition, and water security are decided by logistics corridors and metropolitan regions, the key question is no longer wh