Hermano Sanches Ruivo

President of ACTIVA and former member of Paris City Council

Hermano Sanches Ruivo is a French–Portuguese specialist in territorial diplomacy, metropolitan cooperation and European affairs, with more than two decades of experience working with cities, public institutions and international networks.

He served as an elected member of the Paris City Council from 2008 to 2026, including responsibilities for European affairs, international relations, culture and memory. During this period, he represented the City of Paris in several major international networks, including Eurocities, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), the French Association of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (AFCCRE), the Association of French Mayors’ European Affairs Commission (AMF), and IMPACTS, the network of European capital and metropolitan cities dedicated to urban mobility and transport policy exchange.

He is President of ACTIVA, a France–Portugal network promoting cooperation between cities, local authorities, institutions and economic stakeholders across both countries.

His work focuses on metropolitan partnerships, urban innovation, climate adaptation, resilience, economic development and international cooperation. He is particularly engaged in strengthening collaboration between Portuguese and French cities and metropolitan areas, supporting the exchange of expertise, public policy innovation and sustainable urban transformation.