The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2022

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022 31 that were received from other countries and partners abroad. Tackling emergent global threats and challenges, including pandemics and beyond, requires local action and knowledge, in addition to global coordination. Local legislators are already creating local solutions to global challenges. During New York state’s last legislative session, the Senate passed the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act or HALT. HALT brings New York state into compliance with United Nations standards under the Nelson Mandela Rules, which place limits on the use of solitary confine- ment. New York is the first state in the country to codify this international standard. Similarly, at the New York City Council last September, coun- cil members passed Intro 1828, which establishes a committee on female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) within the mayor’s office, which would be responsible for preparing and implementing a comprehensive strategy to prevent and elimi- nate the practice of FGM/C in NYC. The World Health Organiza- tion estimates that half a million women and girls have under- gone or are at risk of female genital mutilation in the United States, and 65,000 of those at risk live in New York City. Not a New Concept City diplomacy as we know it today has expanded rapidly over the last few decades, but it is far from a new concept. The earliest examples of subnational diplomacy began after the World War II era during the Eisenhower administration, specifically with the Sister Cities program. Today, cities across the United States, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Atlanta, Houston, San Antonio, among others, are on the front lines of city diplomacy, building their own global footprint in response to the global challenges of the 21st century. As host of the United Nations and epicenter of world finance and investment, New York City is uniquely situated to become a leader in this ever- evolving city diplomacy arena. Climate Change. More recently, several cities, including New York, demonstrated the power of local diplomacy when the Trump administration announced that it would withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords in 2017. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and mayors from several other U.S. cities made commitments to carry out the pledges under the agreement, a move that signaled hope was still alive in mitigating climate change at the local and even regional level. Diplomats from nearly 200 countries struck a major agree- ment aimed at intensifying efforts to fight climate change during COP26 in Glasgow. Cities can help fill the gaps where this agree- ment fell short, including via voluntary local reviews, as we know time for action is running out. During U.N. Climate Week 2021, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New York state is building a new 339-mile hydro- electric power transmission line fromQuebec, Canada, to Astoria, Queens, that would replace another line currently carrying fossil fuel energy. Newly elected NYCMayor Eric Adams announced in September 2021 that he planned to travel to the Netherlands to explore the Dutch experience addressing climate change. Public Safety and Security. Remote work is at an all-time high, hackers continue to threaten online safety and security, and cybersecurity hiring and expertise lags. As of October 2021, there were close to 20,000 cybersecurity job vacancies in New York City, and diversity of the talent pipeline needs improve- ment. In this context, NYC recently became the first city in the United States to open a cybersecurity defense center. Called the NYC Cyber Critical Services and Infrastructure Initiative, it is a real-time operational center and public-private partnership focused on proactive cybersecurity measures. This city-based initiative can be the source for training and hiring of cyberse- curity experts and can engage other cities around the world to showcase its learnings and build even further. Food Insecurity. The U.N.’s report, “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021, ” released in July 2021, showed that the pandemic contributed to a significant spike in world hunger. Global food insecurity sits at the nexus of the pandemic, climate change, and increasing economic and racial inequality. In urban areas, where food sourcing is already dif- ficult, the challenge has become profound. Endless lines around food pantries continue in parts of New York City, including the Bronx, where community activists and local mutual aid groups continue to supply food to their neighbors in need. And those in line are largely black, brown and immigrant. This is another area where subnational diplomacy can be a useful tool. New York was the first city to take up a voluntary review of the Sustainable Development Goals and report on them at the United Nations, including SDG number 2 on Global Hun- ger. Locally, organizations like the Green Bronx Machine are building healthy, equitable and resilient communities through inspired education, local food systems and 21st-century work- force development, and expanding their influence across the U.S. and even internationally. Immigration. Approaches to immigration and refugee resettlement is another area in which cities can play an influ- ential and practical role. The stakes of getting this right could not be higher, as pandemics, climate change, wars and other