Bitola and 46 other cities joined the Network, and now it comprises of 116 cities worldwide.
Bitola is the first city in the Republic of Macedonia that becomes member of this prestigious network launched in 2004. The Network aims to foster international cooperation with and between cities committed to investing in creativity as a driver for sustainable urban development, social inclusion and cultural vibrancy.
"The UNESCO Creative Cities Network represents an immense potential to assert the role of culture as enabler of sustainable development. I would like to recognize the many new cities and their countries that are enriching the Network with their diversity", declared Director General Irina Bokova, as UNESCO celebrates in 2015 the 10th anniversary of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network encompasses cities within its seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music and Bitola joins the network as city of film. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the international community in September 2015 highlights culture and creativity as key levers for sustainable urban development.
The Network serves as an essential platform to contribute to the implementation and achievement of this international agenda. By joining the Network, cities commit to collaborate and develop partnerships with a view to promoting creativity and cultural industries, to share best practices, to strengthen participation in cultural life, and to integrate culture in economic and social development strategies and plans. The next meeting of the Creative Cities Network is scheduled for September 2016 in Östersund, Sweden.
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