Kathmandu Joins UNESCO’s Prestigious Creative Cities Network

On World Cities Day, Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, has achieved a remarkable milestone by being designated as one of the 55 new cities to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). This prestigious recognition comes following their designation by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, who acknowledged these cities for their unwavering commitment to integrating culture and creativity into their development strategies and for pioneering innovative practices in human-centered urban planning. With these new additions, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network now proudly includes 350 cities from more than one hundred countries, all of which represent seven diverse creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music.

Kathmandu, the vibrant cultural and historical heart of Nepal, is now celebrated as one of the 55 creative cities in the world, specifically recognized for its contributions to the field of Film.

The other newly inducted members into the UNESCO Creative Cities Network are as follows:

Asaba – Film
Ashgabat – Design
Banja Luka – Music
Battambang – Gastronomy
Bissau – Music
Bolzano – Music
Bremen – Literature
Buffalo City – Literature
Bukhara – Crafts and Folk Art
Bydgoszcz – Music
Caen – Media Arts
Caracas – Music
Casablanca – Media Arts
Castelo Branco – Crafts and Folk Art
Cetinje – Design
Chaozhou – Gastronomy
Chiang Rai – Design
Chongqing – Design
Concepción – Music
Da Lat – Music
Fribourg – Gastronomy
Gangneung – Gastronomy
Granada – Design
Gwalior – Music
Herakleion – Gastronomy
Hobart – Literature
Hoi An – Crafts and Folk Art
Iasi – Literature
Iloilo City – Gastronomy
Ipoh – Music
Kozhikode – Literature
Kutaisi – Literature
Mexicali – Music
Montecristi – Crafts and Folk Art
Montreux – Music
Nkongsamba – Gastronomy
Novi Sad – Media Arts
Okayama – Literature
Ouarzazate – Film
Oulu – Media Arts
Penedo – Film
Rio de Janeiro – Literature
Şanlıurfa – Music
Suphanburi – Music
Surakarta – Crafts and Folk Art
Taif – Literature
Toulouse – Music
Tukums – Literature
Ulaanbaatar – Crafts and Folk Art
Umngeni Howick – Crafts and Folk Art
Valencia – Design
Varaždin – Music
Veliky Novgorod – Music
Vicente Lopez – Film
Furthermore, the city of Lyon, renowned as a Creative City of Media Arts since 2008, has transitioned to a Creative City of Literature, signaling its versatility and commitment to the promotion of diverse creative fields.

The newly designated cities will collaborate with existing Network members to fortify their resilience against contemporary challenges such as climate change, rising inequality, and rapid urbanization. It’s worth noting that by 2050, an estimated 68% of the global population is expected to reside in urban areas.

Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, emphasized the vital role played by cities within the Creative Cities Network in expanding access to culture and harnessing the transformative power of creativity for urban development and resilience.

In the near future, a policy paper titled “The added value of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network at local, national, and international levels” will highlight the leadership of cities in achieving the 2030 Agenda and showcase UNESCO’s support for UCCN members through dialogue, peer-to-peer learning, and collaborative initiatives.

The newly designated Creative Cities have the exciting opportunity to participate in the 2024 UCCN Annual Conference, scheduled to take place from July 1 to July 5, 2024, in Braga, Portugal, focusing on the theme “Bringing Youth to the table for the next decade.” This conference promises to be a platform for innovative ideas and collaboration to further enrich the world’s creative landscape.