TEHRAN -- Based on the approval of the Majlis, Tehran Municipality became a member of the World association of Major Metropolises, said IRNA.

Seventy seven world main cities are active members of the World Association of Major Metropolises and over 40 organizations and institutions are affiliated to it.

Providing suitable grounds for international cooperation, defining frameworks for exchange of views and broadening of inter-city ties by extending technical and training services as well as releasing reports, holding regular occasional seminars are among the activities of the association.

The World Association of Major Metropolises besides following up the formation of commissions on planning and urban development management environment, ecology and urban health, should supervise economic, social and cultural developments and many other set goals.

The association not only supervises the development trend of the world major metropolises, but examines common concerns about the problems of the modern world.

Urbanization, health, transportation and communication are also among the issues listed on the association's agenda.

Its most important task is to establish close inter-city cooperation, tackle the problems facing the metropolises, introduce and represent the world major cities and collaborate with international bodies and organizations of urban communities and facilitate exchange of data among the member states.

Reporting and assessing the effect of major sport and cultural events on the development trend of metropolises, ways of reducing urban poverty, optimizing the quality of water, promoting urban data processing trend are some of the responsibilities of the association's fixed commissions.

Besides assessment of poverty and city garbage management are among its future tasks.

Twenty two major cities from Asia and the Pacific, 20 African, 10 Latin American, 16 European and four North American metropolises are members of the association.

The secretariat of the World Association of Major Metropolises is located in Barcelona, Spain. Iran's capital city of Tehran and Isfahan are members of the association.