International Steering Committee

The Strong Cities Network is driven by an International Steering Committee of 26 cities and municipalities from different regions across the globe. Cities and municipalities selected for the Steering Committee were chosen based on their leadership and commitment to sharing information and expertise through the SCN. Steering Committee members are drawn from different global regions to ensure diversity within the network.

SCN-UNSC-KC-(219)

International Steering Committee members:

Aarhus (Denmark); Antalya (Turkey); Atlanta (USA); Beirut (Lebanon); Copenhagen (Denmark); Dakar (Senegal); Denver (USA); Kaduna (Nigeria); Kano (Nigeria); Kiffa (Mauritania); Kristiansand (Norway); London (UK); Medellín (Colombia); Minneapolis (USA); Mombasa (Kenya); Montréal (Canada); Mumbai (India); New York City (USA); Oslo (Norway); Palermo (Italy); Paris (France); Puno (Peru); Rotterdam (Netherlands); Stockholm (Sweden); Tunis (Tunisia); Victoria (Australia).

The International Steering Committee convenes once a year at the SCN Global Summit to discuss the thematic priorities of the SCN and determine the strategic direction of the network. The SCN Steering Committee’s primary functions include:

Determining scope: supporting the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) in determining the overall strategic direction of the SCN, as well as the annual thematic priorities for action and delivery.
Sharing information: members commit to sharing needs assessments, local strategies, case studies and evaluation reports, among other resources with other SCN members through the online library.
Publicising the network: members actively endorse and publicise the SCN and their involvement in the network.
Increasing membership: assist in growing the overall membership-base of the SCN by connecting by connecting the SCN to other cities or sub-national entities, highlighting the project at regional events and conferences where appropriate, or publicising the network within existing national, regional and international networks of cities or local governments.
Annual meeting representation: attend an annual International Steering Committee meeting held on the margins of the Annual Strong Cities Global Summit.
In-kind contributions: demonstrate an openness to support ISD through in-kind contributions.

What we do

We partner with city officials to establish local risk assessments and design action plans and programmatic responses. From de-radicalisation programming to youth engagement strategies, we ensure that local responses address local needs.

Working from the ground up, we establish local coordination bodies that unite city halls, civil society educators, public health bodies, the private sector and faith leaders to identify and address community tensions. We base our success on harnessing existing and credible institutions, from social services to traditional civic infrastructure.

We galvanise mayors, city officials, local services, communities and youth, training them to play active roles in diagnosing and responding to local risk factors, creating an international repository of best practice approaches.

We help members access the latest research and best practice from across the network through our SCN Online Hub, which features stories, interviews, guides and training modules for teachers, city officials and civil society. Our SCN Hate and Extremism Mapper provides members with data, building digital observatories that correlate online risks with offline behaviour.

We act as a bridge, creating stronger working relationships between local and national governments. We also provide civil society with the knowledge, skills and resources to foster meaningful partnerships with officials in city halls.