ABSTRACT
In contemporary academic globalisation discourses, decentralisation is often seen both as a function of globalisation, rendering traditional government setups dysfunctional, and as a necessary ingredient in processes of democratisation and as a part of 'good governance'. Human and civil rights along with environmental and climate change issues are probably the global issues most often pursued internationally by local governments. Blank also states that local governments in the United States are adopting laws in compliance with international human rights norms to preserve the environment and protect various minority groups such as migrant workers. An increasing number of social science scholars have also noted that cities and local governments all over the world are engaging in foreign affairs as they jointly develop and institutionalise transnational, international, and global policy programmes and networks. Many cities and local governments around the world have also chosen to establish a specialised department or unit for international affairs within their administrations their very own ministries for foreign affairs.
