The Role of City Diplomacy in International Relations of Cities (Case Study of Tehran Urban Management sysem)

Extended Abstract
Background and purpose: In the previous studies on the subject of urban diplomacy, have been addressed subjects such as the compatibility of the increase in the number of sister cities of Tehran in connection with the foreign policy of the government in Iran, and the investigation of the role and function of cities as new actors in international relations. In none of them, the relationship between the role of urban diplomacy and the international relations of cities has not been investigated. The main difference between the present research and other research is that indicators regarding the success rate of the urban management system in urban diplomacy have been investigated. This research is of applied type and its purpose is to evaluate the level and role of Tehran Municipality as the most important and influential local executive institution in advancing this matter.
Materials and Methods: The required information and data have been collected in two general ways under the headings of the library and field. First, in the indirect data collection method, the answers obtained through the questionnaire with SPSS software were entered from the sources to analyze the research data. Then, using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, a picture of the current situation in the studied communities is drawn. In the next step, with the method of collecting direct information through a questionnaire, the required data from the statistical population is adopted. In the present study, the statistical population includes people who work in the municipality of Tehran or have some connection with the Tehran municipality.
Findings and Discussion: Findings obtained from the first to third plans of Tehran Municipality have been such that the first plan promotes the role of city diplomacy at different levels and the second plan without considering and evaluating the upgrade and infrastructure and its development in the third plan to increase memberships and formation Discourses are discussed. According to the annual reports of Tehran Municipality regarding the performance of this institution, planning and consultations and holding more meetings with neighboring and underdeveloped countries have been done, and there is no special organization and committee in the municipality for urban diplomacy. Furthermore, according to the "one-sample t" test, the geopolitical isolation index has had the greatest impact on the failure of Tehran Municipality in influencing the role of urban diplomacy in international relations, and also our second index on the ability of urban management in the category Next and finally, the geopolitical weight index has had the least impact on the failure of Tehran Municipality in the mentioned field.
Conclusion: The results obtained from Tehran Municipality's first to third programs in strengthening the indicators and developing the international infrastructure and discourse axes for membership and stabilization of international cooperation have not been successful. Also, the reports of this local executive body indicate that communication and consultations were mostly with neighboring and underdeveloped countries. The considered indicators each with the results obtained in the index (urban management ability) of lack of concern and sufficient expertise and lack of relevance of employees' field of study, for annual planning and goal setting, and the index (geopolitical weight) according to Measuring the national power of countries, shows that this institution still tends to communicate with cities that have a lower weight than Tehran, and the results obtained, respectively, indicators of geopolitical isolation, urban management capacity and geopolitical weight of the country are factors affecting municipal failure. Tehran is in the field of urban diplomacy.