ASAS KESETARAAN KEDAULATAN (SOVEREIGN EQUALITY) SEBAGAI LANDASAN HUKUM DALAM KEWENANGAN KABUPATEN/KOTA DALAM MENJALIN KERJA SAMA SISTER CITY (Studi Kasus Kerja Sama Kota Bandung-Indonesia dengan Kota Namur-Negara Bagian Wallonia, Kerajaan Belgia)

Strengthening the role of local governments in engaging in international cooperation is an urgent matter that must be developed and refined, particularly through the Sister City program as a form of paradiplomacy to support sustainable regional development. Because in reality, there remains a legal gap concerning the boundaries and legitimacy of regional authority in conducting foreign relations, which, by nature, fall under the domain of the central government. This study highlights the importance of identifying the legal basis and operational scope of local governments in international cooperation, focusing on a case study of the partnership between Bandung City (Indonesia) and Namur City (Belgium). It aims to address two core issues: how the principle of sovereign equality is implemented in Sister City collaborations, and how Indonesia's legal system regulates local government authority in the context of international cooperation. Using a normative juridical method with statutory, conceptual, and case study approaches, the findings reveal that the Bandung–Namur cooperation is conducted on an equal footing, non-political in nature, and formalized through a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), yet legally valid under national law due to prior approval from the central government. This partnership reflects the principle of sovereign equality and remains within the boundaries of local government authority. The implication is that cross-border cooperation at the local level can be carried out legally and constructively, as long as it adheres to the national legal framework. This research provides an academic foundation for strengthening the legal structure of local paradiplomacy in the future.
Keywords: Sovereign Equality, Sister City, Local Government, Bandung, Namur.