In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower launched the “People-to-People Initiative.” He believed that diplomacy on a person-to-person level was an important resource for successful negotiations between governments. Recognizing the importance of involving all citizens in world diplomacy, he called upon the nation’s cities as the centers of opportunity, expression and economic growth, to unite with communities around the world in building a solid structure of world peace. At the core of all sister cities relationships is an agreement, signed by the Mayors of each city, reflecting their mutual commitment to building bridges between governments, businesses and individuals. Today, through formal Sister Cities affiliations, 2,400 Sister Cities relationships are bringing citizens together to cooperate and share ideas, activities and solutions on a range of topics, including the environment, education, culture, medicine, and technology.  

In 1960, Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley signed the first Sister Cities’ agreement with Warsaw, Poland. In the ’70s and ‘80s, Chicago signed with seven additional Sister Cities. And in 1990, Mayor Richard M. Daley enacted an executive order to establish a volunteer Board of Directors, kicking off more than a decade of increased community participation and a rapid growth in Sister Cities’ relationships. Since then, Chicago has established official relationships with a total of 28 cities in almost every region of the world.

The past decade has seen a re-focus on economic development and a dramatic increase in activity beginning with the Annual Sister Cities International Conference held in Chicago in 1991. With the support of Mayor Richard M. Daley, Chicago Sister Cities International has become the most active Sister Cities organization in the world. Operating under the guidelines established by Sister Cities International, located in Alexandria, Virginia, the program has greatly impacted Chicago’s international activity and its status as an international city.   

Chicago Sister Cities International is committed to promoting Chicago as a global city, developing international partnerships and networks, and sharing best practices on a city-to-city basis.

To develop & expand community, education and business partnerships between Chicago and its sister cities.
To create opportunities for citizens and city officials to experience and explore other cultures through long-term partnerships.
To stimulate environments through which communities will creatively learn, work and solve problems together through reciprocal cultural, educational, municipal, business, and technical exchanges and projects.
To collaborate with organizations within the United States and other countries with similar goals.

To be official, a Sister Cities relationship must have the endorsement of local authorities that support the efforts of community volunteers. The respective Mayors then sign Sister Cities agreements. This process opens global initiatives for participation by all people at local levels – citizens, local governments, businesses, media, private voluntary organizations, and educational institutions.