UNESCO Creative Cities Network for sustainable development
Roadmap
Launched in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) strengthens cooperation with and among cities that have recognized creativity as a strategic factor of sustainable development on an economic, social, cultural and environmental level. By joining the Network, cities commit to sharing best practices, developing partnerships that support creativity and cultural industries, strengthening participation in cultural life and integrating culture in urban development plans.
Since its inception, UCCN brought together 350+ Creative Cities that recognize creativity as a core pillar of sustainable urban development.
As the world faces rising geopolitical tensions, social inequality, and environmental challenges, the role of culture in peacebuilding has never been more crucial. To further strengthen UNESCO’s Global Movement for a Culture of Peace, a new category within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network could be established: UNESCO Creative Cities for Culture of Peace
Achievements & Potential for Peacebuilding
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network covers seven creative fields:
- Crafts & Folk Art
- Design
- Film
- Gastronomy
- Literature
- Media Arts
- Music
Cities in the network work together towards a common mission: placing creativity and cultural industries at the core of their development plans at the local level and actively cooperating at the international level, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda.
While cities from a same creative field collaborate intensely to develop joint partnerships, all member cities are also working transversally, in particular at common gatherings such as international meetings or the Network’s Annual Conferences.
However, peacebuilding has yet to be fully incorporated as a dedicated creative field. The introduction of UNESCO Creative Cities for Culture of Peace would fill this gap by mobilizing cultural creativity to foster nonviolence, reconciliation, and community engagement.
