Office for International Relations

As an internationally oriented city, Dortmund maintains numerous relationships with partners all over the world. Universities, research institutions and companies as well as civil society are key actors in this development: Dortmund based companies with international reach have already proven to be successful on the world market, and the well-functioning ecosystem of start-ups, established companies, science and politics attracts students from all over the world as well as internationally recognized research institutions to settle in Dortmund.

Against the background of advancing globalization and increasing transnational challenges such as climate change, international orientation is an essential component of sustainable local politics.

The international work of INA therefore focuses primarily on the following tasks:

• Promotion of international cooperation and external visibility of the City of Dortmund, including international project partnerships and networks of the United Nations, PLATFORMA, CEMR and Connective Cities.
• Presentation of the City of Dortmund and its sustainability activities at international conferences.
• Strengthening the City of Dortmund in its role to make globalisation fairer in the sense of sustainable development - in the interest of the citizens of the City of Dortmund as well as of people elsewhere. To this end, the office is guided by the New Urban Agenda and the 17 SDGs.
• Providing impetus and advice for the internationalisation of municipal activities.