As a result of the breakdown of national borders, an integrative impact has been generated on the world dynamics by the diferent territorial levels. This has occurred from the globalization process, which implies that at it has been experienced diferently throughout the internal and external spaces of nations. As a general framework, supranational integrations reconfigured the national supremacy, changed logic within public administration, and weakened the concept of borders between countries (Borrás, Christiansen & Rodríguez-Pose, 1994.)

In this way, territorial internationalization was consolidated as a dialogue mechanism after the Second World War; being the bridge for the understanding of diferent cultures within a continent in reconstruction. Although its process would begin in the Franco-German cross-border dynamics, these logics, of dialogue between territories, would spread throughout the countries of the Nort in a first stage through the town twinning (Hafteck, 2003.)

Subsequently, the cultural links, and the international missions of local representatives, were accompanied by the decentralization policies of the 1980s; empowering territorial action. With a new scenario of functions delegated to territorial entities, external action was essential for many of the territories that sought international recognition (Aldecoa & Keating, 1999; Cornago, 2010.)

Thus, the 21st century will bring a new tool to link a large number of actors seeking partners with shared interests to respond to their functions and develop their jurisdictions. Both international cooperation and diplomacy, originally national practices, changed their denominations to adapt to new subnational and international realities; creating the concepts of decentralized cooperation and paradiplomacy (Jiménez, Ochoa & Pineda, 2010).

Although not a recent process, these new practices have currently taken a great interest in most territories, both cities and intermediate entities (departments, provinces and regions).This interest is due to the fact that the new practices of territorial internationalization turn out to be a source of resources (technical and financial) to respond effrciently to the problems that are shared between the different partners (Niño- Amezquita, 2016). In turn, the transfer of solutions to territories that have not solved the problems, turns out to be relevant not only from the mechanisms of joint operation (cooperation) but also within the logic of solidarity and support (traditional cooperation).

For Colombia, it would be until about a decade ago, when several academics began to undertake initiatives to understand the territorial internationalization and its scope for the development of Colombia; understanding the differences Whitin, and the diferent scales to respond to this reality. However, the institutional and organizational developments are not new, proof of this are the departmental representations in Bogota. Since the middle of the last century, these houses have been in charge of linking their territories with outside dynamics.

Currently, challenges have been changing in tandem with development approaches and definitions in this way, currently the territories have been creating agendas of internationalization linked to territorial competitiveness (Jiménez et al, 2010).

Thus, after understanding the territorial commitment, the territorial governments work together with the relevant actors of the productive structure.

Whit is, specific actions are identified to establish an agenda of internationalization in order to increase competitiveness and develop its territories. In fact, it has become evident that independent institutions, in charge of the international agenda, do not necessarily generate an increase in the competitiveness of the territories.This behavior occurs more commonly in the lagging areas, which have concentrated their efforts in obtaining financial support for projects, beyond the improvement of the factors that can afect the true development of the jurisdiction and not the response to basic needs.

Finally, the new technological mechanisms have given the opportunity to get to know different initiatives and the networking by the territories; promoting joint solutions and the transfer of good practices.

This way, territorial internationalization is not only imperative for developed areas that need to be effcient and competitive globally, but it can also be the way in which lagging areas can optimize their resources in order to be able to respond to the problems they face on a daily basis.

References

ALDECOA & KEATING, 1999. Para- Aldecoa & Keating, 1999. Paradiplomacy in Action: The Foreign Relations of Subnational Governments.

Frank Cass and C.O. CORNAGO, N. (2010). Foreign Development Policy of Constituent Units: Trends, Challenges and Lessons Learned. OccasionalPaper Series, (1) 2.

BORRÁS, S.; Christiansen, T. & Rodriguez-Pose, A. 1994. Towards a ‘Europe of the Regions’? Visions and Reality from a Critical Perspective. Regional Policy and Politics, vol. 4 No.2.

GRANDAS, D. (2012). La cooperación descentralizada como un nuevo modelo de cooperación para el desarrollo. Revista Análisis Internacional No. 1.

HAFTECK, P. (2003). An introduction to decentralized cooperation: definitions, origins and conceptual mapping. Public Administration and Development, Vol. 23, (4)

JIMÉNEZ, W; OCHOA, A & PINEDA, E. (2010). Internacionalización territorial. Posibilidades y dificultades para los gobiernos subnacionales. Administración y desarrollo.

NIÑO-AMEZQUITA, J. (2016). Decentralized cooperation and the internationalization of Latin territories: Two paths, one way. Asian Journal of Development and Governance. 2017.

OLAYA. S & Vélez, J. (2008). La cooperación descentralizada en Colombia: Una primera aproximación a la visión de los Departamentos y La experiencia de Bogotá como Distrito Capital. Anuario OCD. Disponible en http://observ-ocd.org/sites/observ-ocd.org/files/publicacion/docs/481_264.pdf

Relevant websites

CITES UNIES. http://www.citesunies-france.org/

CGLU. https://www.uclg.org/es

OCD, OBSERVATORIO DE COOPERACIÓN DESCENTRALIZADA. http://observ-ocd.org/es