Gwalior, Kozhikode join UNESCO Creative Cities Network

 Gwalior and Kozhikode from India are among the 55 new cities which on Tuesday joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

UNESCO made the announcement on its official website. These new cities were “acknowledged for their strong commitment to harnessing culture and creativity as part of their development strategies, and displaying innovative practices in human-centred urban planning,” the world body said in a statement.

On World Cities Day, 55 cities joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), following their designation by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, it added.

While Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh has made it to the coveted list in the ‘Music’ category, Kozhikode in Kerala has earned a place in the ‘Literature’ category.

UNESCO has shared the full list of the new 55 cities which include Bukhara Crafts and Folk Art, Casablanca Media Arts, Chongqing Design, Kathmandu Film, Rio de Janeiro Literature, and Ulaanbaatar Crafts and Folk Art.

World Cities Day designated by the United Nations falls on October 31.

With the latest additions, the UCCN now counts 350 cities in more than a hundred countries, representing seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music, UNESCO said in its statement.

“The cities in our Creative Cities Network are leading the way when it comes to enhancing access to culture and galvanising the power of creativity for urban resilience and development,” Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General, was quoted as saying in the statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed the inclusion of Gwalior and Kozhikode in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) and said India’s cultural vibrancy “shines brighter on the

global stage”.