In October 2008, in the early days of the CIF, there was an initial Partnership Forum held at World Bank headquarters in Washington D.C. to begin the Forum process, as the outlines of the CIF itself were being formed and refined. This first Forum served as an early opportunity to explore how best to promote dialogue and open exchanges on various aspects of the CIF and set the stage for regular convening of the Forum as a central CIF venue. The first Forum also provided an opportunity for the selection of countries to serve on the CIF Trust Fund Committees and Sub-Committees.