Our Twin City process

Oxford is a global, outward-looking city and was among the first to begin city twinning when it was launched following the Second World War.

We're proud of the links we have with our twin cities, and believe international links provide a real benefit for our residents. Our twinning ties reflect Oxford's community interests and the enthusiasm of our residents to establish global links.

To foster successful twinning relationships, we've developed criteria and a process for those interested in proposing new links:

• the proposed twin city must uphold the immutable principles of individual liberty, democracy, human rights, and equality under the law
• there should be an established voluntary link showing ongoing activity with diverse communities in both Oxford and the proposed twin city for several years
• once this track record is established, a Friendship Agreement will be trialled to assess the link’s sustainability before moving to a full twinning agreement
• the decision will need to be reviewed alongside the resource implication and only signed once a budget is in place and the Cabinet has taken the decision

Before Oxford City Council can formalise a twin city link, interested parties should independently establish connections with groups, businesses, or academic institutions, showing evidence of these relationships evolving over time.