North Miami Mayor advocates for International Municipal Partnerships at the 2025 United States - Japan Sister Cities Summit
NORTH MIAMI, FL (October 6, 2025)
From Sept. 16 to 19, Mayor Alix Desulme, Ed.D., represented the City of North Miami during the 2025 United States-Japan Sister Cities Summit, in the City of Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
In honor of the 170th Anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and Japan, the summit’s 2025 theme was “Celebrating Our Legacies, Empowering Our Future.” As a longtime supporter of Sister Cities International, and a former board member, Desulme also participated in a panel of mayors from Bakersfield, California; Kato City, Japan and Sakai Town, Ibaraki, Japan, titled, “Making the Case for Sister Cities.” As a part of this panel, Desulme advocated for the need and impact of international city-to-city connections, through Sister Cities International – emphasizing the local advantages and learning opportunities of cultural exchange, economic value, human diplomacy, youth enrichment, and crisis response solidarity yielded through Sister City partnerships.
“Diversity…especially cultural diversity among North Miami’s residents is quite vast,” said Desulme. “As one of the most diverse cities in Florida, I see firsthand the importance of global connections. Not only do Sister City partnerships foster mutual respect, shared learning and people-to-people diplomacy, they also serve as a pathway to governmental innovation.”
In October 2007, by resolution, the City of North Miami established a Sister City Program in affiliation with Sister Cities International. In March of 2008, the cities of North Miami and Delmas, Haiti entered into North Miami’s first Sister Cities agreement, following a vote by the North Miami City Council. Since then, the City North Miami has established Sister City partnerships with six additional cities in Haiti, one city in China and most recently, the City of Banjul, in Gambia, West Africa, in 2023. Following the summit, Desulme is also mobilizing to propose an additional partnership in Japan.
Additional information about Mayor Alix Desulme is available at www.NorthMiamiFL.gov. Resources about Sister Cities International can be found at https://sistercities.org/.
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Media Contact
Sa'Vanna D. Smith, Communications Officer II
305-893-6511, Ext. 12156
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About the City of North Miami
North Miami is a suburban city located in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is roughly 10 miles (16 km) north of Miami. The city lies on Biscayne Bay which surrounds the Biscayne Bay Campus of Florida International University. North Miami is home to a diverse demographic of residents. With more than 64,000 residents, North Miami is the sixth largest city in Miami-Dade County. We are home to the Oleta River State Park; the largest urban park in the Florida State Park System and the nationally accredited Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA North Miami).