UNESCO Creative Cities Network Annual Meeting

From 25 – 28 May 2015, Kanazawa UNESCO City of Craft and Folk Arts (designated in 2009) in Japan hosted the IX Annual Meeting of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). Krakow UNESCO City of Literature (designated in 2013) took an active part in the meeting, as it was also nominated during the previous 2014 meeting in Chengdu to represent the Cities of Literature in the Steering Group created to ensure strategic and efficient communication between UNESCO and the rapidly growing network. During the meeting, Krakow presented on its key initiatives and activities from the past year, including its two literary festivals, the City Codes and Read KRK! projects, support for the modernization of local libraries and independent bookstores and much more. For more about the City of Literature programme run in Krakow, please visit our programme website.

During the meeting, representatives of 69 cities from 32 different countries were tasked with the following:

• Review the past initiatives undertaken in the effort to use creativity as an enabler and mobilizer of sustainable urban development;
• Develop new partnerships and projects as well as build on existing ones;
• Address the development of a more geographically balance network;
• Reflect on the strategic objectives of the Network;
• Establish criteria for the selection of future host cities of the Network’s Annual Meetings;
• Address formal periodic review of membership
• Identify the key areas of growth and development for the year.

Previous Creative Cities annual meetings have been held in Paris (UNESCO HQ, 2008), Santa Fe (2008), Lyon (2009), Shenzhen (2010), Seoul (2011), Montréal (2012), Bologna (2013) and Chengdu (2014). The 2016 Annual Meeting will be held in in Östersund, Sweden.

More information about the meeting may be found at the official website as well as on the UNESCO Creative Cities Network website.