Zurich is growing and prospering. However, growth and success bring with them major challenges: the economic basis must be guaranteed, social cohesion must be maintained, infrastructures and services must be made attractive and future-oriented. In a globally networked world, many of these challenges can less and less be tackled and mastered on their own. In order to maintain the quality of life and well-being of the city of Zurich in the future, the city needs sustainable relationships and is dependent on partnerships. And it must increasingly and actively represent its interests across borders, at regional, national and international level.

Against this background, the Strategy for External Relations of the City of Zurich was adopted in 2008. In 2014, it underwent a review with the aim of further strengthening and focusing the foreign policy activities of the City of Zurich. Against the background of changed framework conditions and challenges of the City of Zurich, the previous activities of the Department of External Relations were reviewed for their expediency and target-orientedness. The Updated External Relations Strategy of the City of Zurich 2014 is the result of this review.