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Local authorities have increased their international action considerably since decentralization laws were enacted. Over the past two decades, major cities and regions have deepened their international relations, which underlines changes of scale at the local and regional government level today. International action has shifted from cultural exchanges to territorial marketing and para-diplomacy in a few short decades. This is why it is difficult to demarcate the international action of local and regional authorities precisely. Taking note of the plastic nature of this definition, this study first seeks to determine the magnitude of the major parameters of change that affect international action by local and regional authorities. Next, given the profusion of initiatives, it develops a typology of public action instruments used by local and regional authorities regarding internationalization; then goes on to evaluate the strategies they pursue wherever their actions take place.