Baghdad joins the UNESCO Creative Cities Network
On Friday 11 December 2015, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova announced the designation of Baghdad as a new member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Baghdad was included in the network in the field of literature, recognizing the importance of the past and present intellectual and literary life of the city .
Iraq, what was once known as Mesopotamia, was the centre of Arab learning and the origins of literature can be traced back to the early urban centres founded in Mesopotamia. Today, Iraqi literature is among some of the most innovative and interesting in the world.
Launched in 2004, the Network now comprises 116 cities worldwide. It 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. It is the first time that Iraq is represented on the list.
“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 the Director-General, as UNESCO celebrates in 2015 the 10th anniversary of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
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