As part of its one year anniversary as a UNESCO Creative City of Music, Sanandaj organized a webinar that focused on urban development and creativity to further discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and reflect upon its future plans to achieve the Network’s goals and objectives. The meeting brought together various stakeholders including high-level representatives from the Iranian Creative Cities, academics, as well as cultural professionals, and creators.

The webinar also provide opportunities to fellow creative cities from the country, Rasht - a Creative City of Gastronomy and Isfahan – a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art to share their experiences, good practices, and reflection upon the advantages the cites have reaped as part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Participating cities also seized the occasion to call on strengthening inter-city and inter-sectorial cooperation at both national and international level, in order to coordinate social, economic, and cultural development projects, actions and plans as well as support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the local level.

Following the affirmation of strengthening inter-city collaboration, the Creative City of Sanandaj also announced the preparation of an agreement with Slemani, a UNESCO Creative City of Literature in Iraq, to further develop and share experiences and learnings