UNESCO’s Network of Creative Cities

In News

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated Srinagar as a part of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).

Highlights of the News

• 295 across the globe: UNESCO designated 49 other cities too as a part of the creative cities network. With this, the total number of creative cities in the world has reached 295 across 90 countries.
• Sixth Indian city: After Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Varanasi and Jaipur, Srinagar is the sixth Indian city to achieve this distinction.
• Allocation: The Srinagar city has been designated the creative city in the field of Crafts and Folk Arts only second city in India in this category after Jaipur.
  • While Mumbai has been honoured in the film category, Chennai and Varanasi have been made part of UCCN for their music.
  • Hyderabad is a UCCN city in the gastronomy category.
• Other 4 cities: This year four Indian cities Kolkata, Gwalior, Indore and Srinagar had applied to the Ministry of Culture.

UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN)

• Creation: It was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.
• UNESCO designates the creative cities in seven fields: Craft, Folk Art, Media Arts, Film Design, Gastronomy, Literature and Music.
• Ministry of Culture: Every year, UNESCO seeks applications for various cities across the globe for putting them under its UCCN project. The applications in India are routed through the Ministry of Culture.

Significance

• They work together towards a common objective: They place creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans.
• 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: The network is a partner of UNESCO and also acts as a breeding ground of action and innovation for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Joining the network is a longstanding commitment: Cities must present a realistic action plan including specific projects, initiatives or policies to be executed in the next four years to implement the objectives of the network.
• Sharing their best practices and developing partnerships: By joining the UCCN, cities commit to sharing their best practices and developing partnerships involving the public and private sectors as well as civil societies. 

Source: IE