Hoi An and Da Lat have just become UNESCO Creative Cities.

Two representatives of Vietnam have just become UNESCO Creative Cities: Da Lat in the field of music and Hoi An in the field of crafts and folk art. On the occasion of World Cities Day (October 31, 2023), the Director-General of UNESCO signed a decision recognizing Da Lat and Hoi An along with 53 other cities worldwide as official members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN).

“Cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network are playing a pioneering role in promoting access to culture and enhancing the power of creativity in sustainable urban development,” said Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO.

Some notable names in the list of 53 officially joining the Creative Cities Network include Chiang Rai (Thailand) and Chongqing (China) in the field of design, Ipoh (Malaysia) in the field of music, Kathmandu (Nepal) in the field of cinema, Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) in the field of crafts and folk art... or Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in the field of literature.

Da Lat and Hoi An are part of the project to develop Vietnam's network of creative cities under the UNESCO Creative Cities Network approved by the Prime Minister and coordinated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for construction and implementation. The International Cooperation Department (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) is the lead agency for the project, while the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Art serves as a technical advisor, collaborating with localities to build dossiers and fulfill commitments to join the UCCN.

Previously, Hanoi became a UNESCO Creative City in the field of design in 2019. According to the plan from now until 2030, every two years there will be a maximum of two Vietnamese cities building and submitting applications to join the UCCN, aiming for 4 to 6 cities to be recognized as UNESCO Creative Cities.

View attachment 767 With a rich, diverse, and unique cultural heritage crystallized from centuries of history, Hoi An is a crossroads of many cultures. Photo: Katie Bordner/Flickr

The UCCN was established in 2004 to promote cooperation among cities with a shared goal of considering creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development, placing the cultural and creative industries at the center of local development plans, while actively participating in international cooperation activities. The network currently has 350 cities from more than 100 countries, focusing on 7 creative fields including Design, Literature, Music, Crafts and Folk Art, Gastronomy, Cinema, and Media Arts.

Newly recognized Creative Cities will strive to implement the commitments outlined in their application files, while cooperating with other network members to promote measures to address global challenges such as climate change, increasing inequality, and the rapid pace of urbanization...

Source: https://dulich.laodong.vn/tin-tuc/v...em-hai-thanh-pho-sang-tao-unesco-1261580.html