Broward County Is a Member of Sister Cities International
What Is Sister Cities International?
Founded in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower after the Second World War with the vision to foster peace between cities around the world, Sister Cities International (SCI) is the national, nonprofit, volunteer membership organization representing the sister city programs of more than 1,100 U.S. cities and their 2,000 partners in more than 120 countries worldwide. As the premier organization for citizen diplomacy in the United States, SCI leads the national movement for local community development and volunteer action in the global arena. SCI motivates and empowers municipal officials, volunteers and youth to conduct long-term programs of mutual benefit and interest with their sister city counterparts abroad. Sister Cities International (SCI) is based in Washington, D.C. and is the entity that officially links municipalities/counties from the United States with foreign cities through sister city agreements signed by the respective mayor of each city/county and ratified by each city/county council, commission or its equivalent.
To be official, a sister city/county relationship must have the endorsement of the local authorities, who support the efforts of community volunteers. This dynamic process empowers all sectors of a community to participate constructively in the global arena, thus unleashing citizen diplomacy at the grassroots level.
Broward County Sister Cities Activities
Broward County has been a member of Sister Cities International (SCI) since September 21, 2023.
On September 19, 2023, Broward County Agenda Item #45 passed authorizing Broward County to join Sister Cities International (SCI) thanks to the vision and initiative of current Broward County Mayor Mark D. Bogen.
The Broward County Sister Cities International – Steps to Structuring a Sister City Program Reference Guide was created by the Broward County’s Office of Economic and Small Business Development (OESBD) to serve as a best practices reference guide to solicit and receive requests for potential Sister Cities partnerships.
On October 22, 2025, Broward County officially announced the launch of its Sister Cities International Program at the 10th Anniversary of the Florida International Trade and Cultural Expo (FITCE). The launch was announced at the Grand Opening Ceremony coronated by a presentation from Dr. Christine Warnke, Board Member and Economic Development Chair of Sister Cities International headquarter in Washington D.C. Additionally, an educational Sister Cities International session titled Starting or Revitalizing Your Sister Cities Program with Economic Development as a Tool for Success was organized as a concurrent panel at FITCE 2025.
How to Form a Sister Cities Relationship (“Twin”) with Broward County
If you would like to submit your city, county or region for consideration as a Sister Cities twin with Broward County, please complete form below:
For more information on information on Broward County Sister Cities program, please send an email to sistercities@broward.org or call 954-357-6400.
Visit the Sister Cities International website to learn more about their programs and services. For more information on other Broward County Municipalities that have active memberships with the Sister Cities International Program, please refer to the Sister Cities Directory.
