Itzel Hernández is a specialist in international cooperation, the international action of local governments, and sustainable urban development, with more than 15 years of experience working with subnational governments across Latin America. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), a Master’s degree in Public Management from the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (CIDE), and a specialization in Public Space and Urban Mobility from UNAM.
She worked for three consecutive administrations at the General Coordination for International Affairs of Mexico City and at the Euro-Latin American Alliance for Cooperation among Cities (AL-LAs), where she promoted city-to-city cooperation, the internationalization of territories, and the strategic positioning of local governments within global agendas. In this context, she contributed to strengthening institutional capacities and building the conditions necessary to ensure the sustainability of local governments’ international action through the development of policy instruments, coordination mechanisms, and multi-stakeholder platforms.
She has collaborated with organizations including ICLEI, UNESCO, C40, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the Resilient Cities Network on initiatives related to urban sustainability, resilience, mobility, social inclusion, and institutional strengthening. She is currently Managing Partner at Redes Urbanas, where she leads and contributes to projects focused on urban development, mobility, public transport, and strategic planning across Latin America.
Her experience includes the Cities Forward initiative, the Benito Juárez 2045 Strategic Climate Action Plan, capacity-building programmes and electromobility initiatives, as well as participation in the development of Brazil’s National Logistics Plan 2050. Her work connects global agendas with local capacities and promotes collaboration among governments, civil society, academia, the private sector, and international organizations.
