Statement by the Honorable Johnny Ford, Founder of WCM:

“We are very proud to receive our Private Volunteer Organization (PVO) status.  It means that the WCM can now be considered along with The Carter Center, The Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative, and other PVO’s now providing USAID assistance to countries around the world, especially Africa.  On behalf of our President, Mayor Ron Davis, and the entire WCM organization, we are particularly pleased to have the Honorable Jerry Henderson as our Senior Advisor and Point Person in Washington on the PVO and other WCM global initiatives.”

THE WORLD CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, INC
(United Nations of Cities)
 

The World Conference of Mayors, Inc. (WCM), founded and organized in April 1984, is a non-profit, non-political worldwide conference, comprised of mayors, former mayors, and other elected and appointed local public officials.  The organizing meeting for the WCM was held in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, when the Honorable Johnny Ford, President of the National Conference of Black Mayors, Inc. (NCBM), convened mayors from the United States, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. 

The fundamental goals of the WCM are: trust, trade, tourism, technology, treasury, training and twin city programs and services between mayors, cities and other local public officials and jurisdiction around the world.  The primary functions of the WCM are to collaborate, stimulate, and support positive and constructive relations between mayors and other local public officials internationally, based on interlocking interest and concerns. 

Through a network of international municipal associations, mayors and units of local governments, the WCM plans, designs, and manages an international intergovernmental communications system.  Through this system, the WCM emphasis is placed on establishing and strengthening intergovernmental frameworks and capacity building – providing strategic planning, technical assistance, and organizational and human development.   The system’s focus is identification, then gathering and dissemination of current and relevant data and information which affords local public officials – decision makers – better working tools for efficient and effective planning and policy making, especially regarding the delivery of needed constituent services.

The WCM is a membership body, including a distinguished Corporate Roundtable.  Annual Conferences and Consultative Meetings are held around the world to help foster the WCM fundamental goals.  The First Annual Conference was held in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa in 1984.  Since 1984, Annual Conferences and Consultative Meetings have been held in various cities and countries, including:  Banjul, The Gambia, Hong Kong and Beijing, China, Durban and Pretoria, South Africa, Nassau, Bahamas, Dakar, Senegal, Libreville, Gabon, Bamako, Mali, Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria, Deluge-St Marc, Haiti, and Fort de France, Martinique.   

The WCM headquarters in located in historic Tuskegee, Alabama, with offices in Washington, DC, Dakar, Senegal (Africa), and Point Fortin, Trinidad and Tobago (the Caribbean).