UNESCO's Network of Creative Cities | 01 Nov 2019
Why in News?
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has included Mumbai and Hyderabad in its network of 'Creative Cities' among the 66 cities selected on the occasion of World Cities Day 2019 (31st October).
- With the addition of 66 new cities, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network counts a total of 246 cities.
- Mumbai has been designated as Creative City of Films and Hyderabad as a Creative City of Gastronomy.
- Earlier, Indian cities like Chennai and Varanasi have been included in UNESCO Cities of Music while Jaipur has been included in the City of Crafts and Folk Arts.
Significance
- By joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), the cities pledge to share best practices and develop partnerships involving public and private sectors as well as civil society to strengthen the creation, production, and distribution of cultural activities.
UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN)
- It was created in 2004.
- Currently (2019), 246 cities make up this network which aims towards a common objective of placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level.
- The UNESCO Creative Cities aims to achieve Sustainable Development Goals through innovative thinking and action.
- Also, cities are championing sustainable development actions that directly benefit communities at the urban level.
- Sustainable Development Goal 11 aims for Sustainable Cities and Communities.
- The network covers seven creative fields: crafts and folk arts, media arts, film, design, gastronomy, literature and music.
World Cities Day 2019
- The United Nations General Assembly has designated the 31st of October as World Cities Day.
- The theme for World Cities Day,2019 is, “Changing the world: innovations and a better life for future generations”.