Diplomacy in crisis, subnational diplomacy evolves

The practice of subnational diplomacy necessarily adapts to historical shifts. Such shifts are sometimes subtle and sometimes striking. They sometimes arrive slowly and sometimes suddenly. For practitioners of subnational diplomacy, 2025 has required quick adaptation and evolution to tectonic shifts. The decline of the increasingly contested liberal international order accelerated. As a result, subnational jurisdictions are facing questions of how to continue engagement with international partners while existing diplomatic and development institutions are weakened. The past two decades of practice can illuminate current options, but experimentation and new approaches will also be needed. Already, some cities and states are showing that in the face of national volatility, they can serve as a steady hand in continuing the advancement of diplomatic relationships.