Shared urban vision
Introduction
The Cities Alliance is a global partnership formed jointly by the World Bank and the United Nations Human Settlements Program (later known as UN-Habitat) to distribute grants, share information between local governments and make policy recommendations "to address urban poverty in developing countries".[1] Its main objectives include developing "national policy frameworks to address urban development needs, develop and implement inclusive local strategies and plans, strengthen the capacity of cities to provide better services in informal urban areas" and "develop mechanisms to involve citizens in the governance of cities or urban areas".[2].
Path
Founded in 1999 at the conclusion of the International Mayors' Summit,[3] the initial members of the Cities Alliance were bilateral aid agencies from the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada, as well as four associations of local authorities.[1] Since its inception, the Cities Alliance has been clear in its intention to "exclusively fund multi-stakeholder partnership efforts", with the intention of generating cooperation between government, NGOs, international organizations and divisions of citizen advocacy to support active local governance, citizenship and economic growth. These efforts involve "regional members in Africa, Asia and Latin America."[4].
Furthermore, the Cities Alliance "has made transparency and access to information an important aspect of its decision-making process" in accordance with principle five of the Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness.[1] This is one of the ways in which the Cities Alliance aligns itself with current thinking on the topic. Through their country programs, for example, they are strengthening "a framework to improve cooperation between urban stakeholders and public and private investments in urban communities", echoing the Paris Declaration's themes of harmonization, alignment and ownership.[5].
In addition to grant distribution and monitoring efforts, Alliance of Cities also serves as "a means of sharing information and experiences among various local governments", to encourage the development of best practices in urban planning, mapping and service delivery, with knowledge sharing placed in various forums.[4] It was this same coordination function that prompted the location of the Alliance of Cities Secretariat, first in Washington D.C. and then in Brussels, in order to "" with the largest "".[6] This move, from Washington D.C. to Brussels in 2013, corresponded with the departure of the Alliance of Cities from the World Bank, at which time it fell under the auspices of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), following a "" to become its secretariat and administrator.[7].