BAGUIO CITY—One of the major tourist destinations in the country because of its cool climate and panoramic scenery, the city famous as the “Summer Capital of the Philippines” is now one of the 64 cities from 44 countries designated as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative Cities by its Director–General Irina Bokova.
Baguio is also known for its many artists and is one of the favorite havens for artists from other places of the country and even the world.
People of Baguio, especially the artists as well as art enthusiasts, have all the reason to be proud again as these cities join the network at the frontline of UNESCO’s efforts to foster innovation and creativity as key drivers for a more sustainable and inclusive urban development. This network according to UNESCO attracts growing interest from local authorities.
Bokova stated that these new designations showcase an enhanced diversity in city profiles and geographical balance, with 19 cities from countries not previously represented in the Network.
“The cooperation framework proposed to foster candidate cities from the Africa region—a UNESCO Global Priority—has been a true success with 9 African cities now joining the Network,” she added.
Baguio City has been listed for Crafts and Folk Art along with other cities like Barcelos (Portugal), Carrara (Italy), Chiang Mai (Thailand), and Cairo (Egypt), among others.
Besides these places, other areas included in the list of 64 UNESCO Creative Cities are Alba (Italy)—Gastronomy; Auckland (New Zealand)—Music; Bucheon (Republic of Korea)—Literature; Cape Town (South Africa)—Design; Dubai (United Arab Emirates)—Design; Guadalajara (Mexico)—Media Arts; Istanbul (Turkey)—Design; Macao Special Administrative Region, China (Associate Member, UNESCO)—Gastronomy; and Manchester (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)—Literature, to name a few.
Click here for the full list of UNESCO Creative Cities.
UNESCO release on its website stated that since 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network highlights its members’ creativity within seven fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music. It now counts a total of 180 cities in 72 countries. “While differing geographically, demographically or economically, all Creative Cities commit to develop and exchange innovative best practices to promote creative industries, strengthen participation in cultural life, and integrate culture into sustainable urban development policies,” the body added.
“Within the framework of the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda, the Network provides a platform for cities to demonstrate culture’s role as an enabler for building sustainable cities,” UNESCO stressed.
The next Annual Meeting of the Creative Cities Network is scheduled to take place in Krakow and Katowice (Poland) in June 2018.
