Mayor Jaume Collboni confirmed plans for a high-level meeting in Sarajevo this autumn, bringing together cities from Barcelona’s District 11 program. Announced during his official visit to the Bosnian capital, the meeting renews efforts to support urban recovery in conflict-affected regions, particularly Palestinian municipalities.
The District 11 initiative, first conceived during the Balkan wars, began when Sarajevo was symbolically named Barcelona’s eleventh district. It has since evolved under Collboni’s leadership. Last year, he extended the concept to include Palestinian cities, aiming to share Barcelona’s expertise in urban reconstruction and public service management. The Sarajevo meeting is expected to bring together technical teams and municipal leaders who have been working on humanitarian aid and city planning, especially in areas affected by recent violence.
Collboni’s visit included talks with Sarajevo Mayor Samir Advic and forms part of a wider diplomatic tour that will also take him to Warsaw and Kyiv. In Bosnia, Barcelona’s technical staff, already engaged in projects with partners from Palestine and Jordan, will have the chance to learn directly from Sarajevo’s post-war recovery experience. Improving public services and preparing for the long-term rebuilding of war-damaged cities remain priorities for the program.
Collboni said District 11 is built on practical, long-term cooperation among municipal professionals. Engineers and healthcare workers, along with architects and urban planners, contribute their knowledge to help cities recover. He said this hands-on approach now extends to Palestinian cities, shifting support toward sustained, expertise-driven work instead of short-term aid.
Alongside the Sarajevo summit, Collboni said Barcelona will host the first Mediterranean Mayors’ Conference this November as part of the Union for the Mediterranean’s Regional Forum of Foreign Ministers. Scheduled for November 24-25 at the Palacio de Pedralbes, the event will bring together leaders from around fifteen Mediterranean cities, including Genoa and Izmir, Istanbul and Ramallah, Tangier and Tetouan, as well as Amman and Montpellier. Sarajevo has also been invited to join the new platform for urban dialogue.
The District 11 program stands out in Spain’s municipal diplomacy for its focus on peer-to-peer technical cooperation and its roots in Barcelona’s history of solidarity. By bringing together cities with direct experience of conflict and reconstruction, the initiative aims to encourage practical solutions and lasting partnerships. Barcelona’s international outreach has grown steadily in recent years, and the city is increasingly viewed as a reference point for urban new idea and humanitarian engagement in the Mediterranean and beyond.
The Union for the Mediterranean is an intergovernmental organization that promotes dialogue and cooperation among countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Barcelona’s upcoming mayors’ conference is expected to address shared challenges, including urban ability to recover and migration, alongside sustainable development. The District 11 meeting in Sarajevo will focus on exchanging technical know-how and supporting cities dealing with the aftermath of conflict. These efforts reflect a wider trend of Spanish cities taking a more active role in international cooperation, particularly in regions where municipal expertise can make a tangible difference.
