Item - 2019.EC10.17

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to undertake a formal review of the International Alliance Program and report to City Council in 2020 with recommended changes to the program, with such a review to include:  

a.  Develop a definition and criteria for Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) relationships and review the current definitions of Partnership and Friendship Cities.

b.  Review and update the current city selection criteria for the International Alliance Program and develop similar criteria for Memorandums of Understanding.

c.  Review current signing authorities and practices related to signing agreements under the International Alliance Program, in consultation with Legal Services.

d.  Analyze current Partnerships, Friendship Cities and Memorandums of Understanding agreements to ensure they align with the City's objectives, and make recommendations to continue, modify or conclude agreements, as necessary.

e.  Undertake an analysis of the annual resources required to ensure the maintenance of successful city-to-city relationships.

f.  Consider strategies to better inform City divisions on international activities and commitments.

2. City Council impose a moratorium on signing new city-to-city agreements until the review of the International Alliance Program has been completed and its results considered as part of a report to City Council in 2020.

At its meeting on April 3, 2019, the Economic and Community Development Committee referred the item Partnerships That Produce: Best Practices for International Metropolitan Agreements from the World Trade Centre – Toronto and the Toronto Region Board of Trade to the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, for review and report back.

The purpose of this staff report is to comment on the presentation and report "Partnerships That Produce". The staff report also provides an overview of the City of Toronto's International Alliance Program (IAP), requests direction from City Council to undertake a review of the program and to report back to City Council with recommendations to enhance and modernize it.