Cooperation and Partnerships, Cooperation and Partnerships

Montevideo – 5th World Forum on Cities and Territories of Peace (2025) 

Involved organizations

Municipality of Montevideo

Year

City, country

Uruguay

Lines of work

Analysis and intelligence, International cooperation and resources

About the project

PHARE led the Scientific Committee of the 5th World Forum on Cities and Territories of Peace, held in Montevideo in May 2025. The work included defining the Forum’s conceptual framework, developing its strategic content, and drafting the concept notes that guided the discussions. The process brought together academic, institutional, and territorial perspectives on urban and territorial peace while linking the Forum to relevant international agendas. PHARE also fostered strategic partnerships with local governments, international networks, research centres, and multilateral organizations, helping position the Forum as a leading international platform on peace, social cohesion, and territorial governance.

Challenge

The World Forum on Cities and Territories of Peace is a leading multilateral platform for the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and strategies on peacebuilding at the local level. Its fifth edition took place against a backdrop of increasing political polarization, urban violence, migration pressures, and the climate crisis, highlighting the need for a robust and up-to-date conceptual framework capable of bringing together the diverse actors, agendas, and experiences represented at the Forum.

Approach

PHARE led the Scientific Committee, overseeing the Forum’s conceptual framework and strategic content. This included drafting the concept notes that guided each session and bringing together academic, institutional, and territorial perspectives around key themes such as intolerance, racism, discrimination and extremism; migration, diasporas and violence; gender-based violence; and equality, inclusive development, and climate justice. The Forum also introduced an innovative approach by examining the conditions that shape both the achievements and challenges of the experiences presented, structured around three cross-cutting themes: citizen participation and intergenerational dialogue; resources for participatory governance in support of peace and social cohesion; and city diplomacy and strategic partnerships. In parallel, PHARE fostered strategic collaboration with local and regional governments, international networks, research centres, and multilateral organizations, helping build the alliance architecture that established the Forum as a leading international platform for peace, social cohesion, and territorial governance.

Impact

The Forum brought together local governments, international organizations, and leading representatives from academia and civil society from across the world. The background papers and programme developed by PHARE provided the framework for discussions on issues including migration and diasporas, urban violence, care policies, and the Urban Agenda for Peace and Non-Violence.

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Cooperation and alliances

Solutions we offer

Networking and alliance building:

Engagement with networks, platforms, and strategic partners to advance shared agendas and strengthen territorial cooperation.

International cooperation and resources:

Identifying and managing cooperation, funding, and other support mechanisms to strengthen territorial initiatives.

Project design and implementation:

Formulation, management, and support of international projects and initiatives.

ATTRACTIVENESS AND PROJECTION

Solutions we offer

Territorial positioning:

Designing territorial positioning strategies and tools to strengthen the identity and projection of cities and regions.

Attractiveness and identity:

Building narratives, city branding, destination vision, and territorial promotion strategies.

Projecting opportunities:

Attracting investment, cooperation, tourism, culture, and talent.

Strategy and Public policies

Solutions we offer

Territorial strategy and planning:

Designing strategies and tools to strengthen territorial development and consolidate international engagement as public policy.

Public agendas and governance:

Participatory methodologies, policy labs, and collaborative processes for building public agendas.

Technical assistance:

Technical support for implementing territorial development and international engagement strategies.

KNOWLEDGE AND innovation

Solutions we offer

Knowledge and analysis:

Diagnostics, studies, applied research, and forward-looking analysis of international trends.

Training and capacity building:

Training programs, workshops, and tools to strengthen institutional and technical capacities.

Exchange and learning across territories:

Peer-to-peer learning spaces, experience-sharing, and collective knowledge building.