The basis for the project-related city partnerships is the "Concept for International Contacts of the City of Bonn". The guiding principles were the development of the city as an international and UN location and the conviction that cities can only meet global challenges such as climate change by working together. The concept was adopted by the Bonn City Council in 1999.

Bonn maintains project partnerships with Bukhara (Uzbekistan), Cape Coast (Ghana), Chengdu (People's Republic of China), La Paz (Bolivia), Minsk (Republic of Belarus) and Ulan Bator (Mongolia).

In addition to cultural exchange and youth projects, the partnership work focuses on the exchange of municipal experience and joint projects on municipal services of general interest. The choice of topics and cooperation are also shaped by the work of the United Nations and the international organizations working in Bonn, as well as by the major international conferences held in Bonn.

With its international project partnerships, Bonn aims to

• encourage openness to other countries and cultures
• facilitate encounters and promote the exchange of experience
• implement joint projects
• utilize, pool and harness the knowledge, expertise and experience of municipalities
• promote sustainable development.

The experience gained from project partnership work benefits the cities themselves. In addition, they can also contribute to the further development of international action concepts.

The project partnerships are supported by the partnership associations and country organizations. These maintain an intensive exchange and facilitate a large number of encounters.