Common approaches to common interests

Nowadays, it is increasingly the case that tasks can be dealt with better with an approach which goes across borders. Intercommunal cooperation is however not clearly structured. On a cantonal and a national level, the City of Zürich can often achieve very little by working alone, since despite the «city clauses» in the constitution and in the Tripartite Agglomeration Conference, Swiss cities still carry very little political weight. Furthermore, Swiss cities enjoy very little presence on the international stage in comparison with those in the EU. The city council wants to improve this situation by means of the «Creating alliances – politics beyond borders» legislative focal point (2006 – 2010).

Firstly, exchanges with the municipalities in the Zürich Metropolitan Area need to be made more intensive. The longer term goal is to create binding methods of cooperation on a regional and a supra-regional level.

Secondly, the aim is to achieve greater cooperation with the other big cities in Switzerland. The main purposes of this will be to a better perception of the city's interests, particularly on a federal level.

Thirdly, more relationships with other cities in international networks are being sought. The idea here is to have a more active contribution to global sustainable development, a valuable exchange of experiences between experts and a clear profiling and positioning for Zürich.