Timeline
2000: Washington - A delegation of local governments representatives composed of Joan Clos, former Mayor of Barcelona and President of Metropolis and currently Executive Director of UN-Habitat; Jean-Paul Huchon, President of the Ile-de-France and Vice President of Metropolis; Daby Diagne, President of the World Federation of United Cities and Alan Lloyd, Chairman of the International Union of Local Governments (IULA), meets the President of the World Bank, James D. Wolfensohn, on the need to create a tool to facilitate access to fund local governments and meet their financing needs. Due to the difficulties of the World Bank to respond positively to these demands, the delegation proposed the creation of a “World Bank of Cities”.
2005: Berlin - Jean-Paul Huchon, President of the Ile-de-France and then Vice President of Metropolis presents a vision of the expected goals of the “World Bank of Cities” in the 8th World Congress of Metropolis.
2006: Paris - Jean-Paul Huchon is elected President of Metropolis. He appoints Alain Le Saux to manage the project of the “World Bank of Cities”.
2007: Antananarivo – Alain Le Saux and his team reported on the diagnostic study about the “World Bank of Cities” in the framework of the Metropolis Board of Directors meeting. It reflects the needs expressed by local governments and the economic and social perspectives of urban development in the world in the short, medium and long terms. The document also focuses on the required measures to create such a structure.
2008: Launch of pilot projects in Antananarivo (Madagascar) on urban mobility and in Makati (Philippines) on the rehabilitation of a historical center. These projects will test the operational feasibility of establishing a “World Bank of Cities”.
2009: Moscow - Metropolis Board of Directors voted unanimously to continue with the project of the “World Bank of cities” through the creation of the Global Fund for Cities Development (FMDV).
2009: Paris – A meeting to launch the Global Fund for Cities Development (FMDV) was held in October. The timetable set by the represented members gave FMDV’s team 12 months to finalize the project and establish the FMDV.
2010: Barcelona - Official creation of the FMDV on October 7 in Barcelona with a commitment of 35 founder members, among them local and national governments and international organizations. Jean-Paul Huchon is elected President of FMDV and Jose Fortunati, Mayor of Porto Alegre, Treasurer. FMDV is also presented in many international forums and conferences.
2010: Barcelona - The Metropolis Board of Directors ratifies its commitment to FMDV as first founder member.
2010: México - United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)’s Executive Bureau meeting held in November ratifies its commitment as the first founder member along with Metropolis.
2011: FMDV will hold its first General Assembly and Board of Directors meeting.