The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) 2023 Annual Meeting was held online on the evening of October 23, Beijing time. With the theme "Culture: The key to unlocking local sustainable development", the conference brought together around 260 representatives from different cities across the globe.
During the conference, 7 coordinating cities from 7 different creative fields briefed their cross-domain activities and international cooperation undertaken from 2022 to 2023. Meanwhile, participants engaged in discussions around three key themes: "Boosting the Economic Potential of Creative Cities and Unleashing Creativity in the Digital Era", "Forging People-centered Urban Policies and Promoting Learning through Creativity", and "Advancing the Role of Culture in Building Climate and Crisis Resilience and Recovery."
As a UNESCO City of Media Arts, the representative from Changsha addressed the conference and outlined the city's achievements. Since joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network 6 years ago, Changsha has introduced various policies and initiatives to advance building the UNESCO City of Media Arts and catalyze the rapid development of media arts industries. Looking ahead, Changsha hopes to collaborate with other global creative cities to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in areas like creative fireworks, digital video, and digital lighting.
Speaking at the conference, Mr. Ernesto Ottone Ramirez, Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO affirmed UNESCO's commitment to fostering international cooperation in education, science and culture. He expressed hope for expanded membership in the Creative Cities Network and underlined the importance of enhancing the network's diversity. He emphasized the continued need to leverage the trans-formative power of culture, jointly tackle global challenges, and advance sustainable urban development.
It is announced that the 2024 annual meeting of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network will be held in Braga, Portugal.