Tijuana Mayor Ismael Burgueño Ruiz traveled to New York on April 13 to present the city’s public policy programs before the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA). The UN selected Tijuana as one of two Mexican cities to showcase what it called transformative, people-centered governance.
Burgueño Ruiz outlined four flagship municipal initiatives during the presentation: “Tijuana: Clean City,” “Illuminated Tijuana,” “Healthy Tijuana,” and “Safe Tijuana.” The programs target waste management, public lighting, community health, and security, all persistent concerns for the border city’s roughly 2.3 million residents.
UN Selects Tijuana Alongside Nuevo Laredo
The UN committee chose Tijuana along with Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, as examples of Mexican municipal governments implementing people-centered public administration. CEPA, which advises the UN Economic and Social Council, regularly reviews governance practices from cities worldwide and invites local leaders to share their approaches.
The invitation to present in New York comes during a period of active municipal outreach by the Burgueño Ruiz administration. Earlier this month, city officials briefed the Tijuana Business Advisory Council on progress in urban development planning, public security technology, and digitization of municipal services. The mayor took office in October 2024.
What the Programs Mean on the Ground
The “Clean City” initiative focuses on trash collection and illegal dumping, a longstanding problem in Tijuana’s sprawling colonias. “Illuminated Tijuana” aims to expand and repair street lighting across the city, where dark roads have been a safety concern in many neighborhoods. “Healthy Tijuana” addresses public health services, while “Safe Tijuana” targets crime reduction through municipal police strategies.
Tijuana faces well-documented challenges in each of these areas. The Economist Impact’s 2024 urban performance profile for Tijuana cited infrastructure gaps and security as key obstacles to the city’s livability and competitiveness.
The UN presentation is largely ceremonial and does not come with funding commitments or binding policy obligations. It does, however, place Tijuana’s municipal agenda on an international stage at a time when the administration is working to attract investment and improve the city’s reputation.
This story was first reported by La Jornada BC.