Why Barcelona?

Barcelona has a long history of international solidarity and commitment to the welfare of the world’s most vulnerable peoples. Even in the midst of the economic crisis, Barcelona continued to maintain its pledge to international cooperation, and Barcelona City Council dedicates 1% of its annual budget to that purpose.

In Barcelona, tolerance and welcome for those in need are guiding principles. Our positive global image allows our city to serve as a meeting place for policy dialogue and exchanges between leading international actors on global challenges. In future, this tradition will only grow more.

Barcelona is quickly becoming synonymous with innovation and our city has consistently ranked among Europe’s best. We have developed sophisticated hubs in the fields of design, technology, biomedicine, gastronomy and medical research, among others, and we seek to do the same for new fields of innovation.

To further its commitment to welcoming new international policy actors to Barcelona, our city has adopted the BCN Action Plan: a deliberately ambitious, cross-sector strategy aimed at accelerating the pace at which new international organisations and professionals arrive in Barcelona.