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Topic: Sub-national Diplomacy

From Paradiplomacy to Climate Federalism

Debora Prado compares climate governance and paradiplomacy in Brazil and Germany, arguing that Germany’s institutionalized federal system enables stronger coordination between national and subnational governments. In contrast, Brazil’s federal government retains a monopoly over foreign affairs, leaving states and cities to pursue international climate action through informal, often uncoordinated arrangements. This creates policy instability, particularly …

Democratic Resilience in an Age of Crisis

According to the 2024 Varieties of Democracy report, there are now 91 autocracies and 88 democracies worldwide. Even more striking, 72 percent of the world’s population—three out of four people—live under autocratic rule, a level not seen since the mid-1980s. The decline of democracy isn’t caused by coups or foreign enemies, but by elected leaders …