City demonstrations of the Sustainable Cities Programme (SCP) involve stakeholders around concrete issues, leading to the negotiation of joint strategies, coordinated action plans, and ultimately implementation. A primary focus of the process is its institutionalization: making the process routine. National replication of these processes multiplies the impact of international support, as does regional exchange and cooperation. Experiences at the local, national and regional levels are shared at the global level, facilitating information sharing and partnership. This has given rise to a shift in the UN technical cooperation paradigm, away from the provision of ready solutions towards the advancement of collective know-how.