Today, more than half of humanity – 3.9 billion people – lives in cities. By 2050, cities will host 2.5 billion more urban dwellers, making the world almost 70% urban.
UNESCO is committed to enhancing the sustainability of cities through policy advice, technical assistance and capacity building, drawing on its longstanding normative and operational experience in the fields of education, sciences, culture, communication and development. Thanks to multi-disciplinary cooperation among all its sectors, as well as its broad network of experts across the globe, UNESCO has become a leading agency in the effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

 The UNESCO Cities Platform gathers eight UNESCO networks and programmes, and reflects the transversal approach the Organization’s work with cities towards implementing the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals. It includes the following programmes:

• UNESCO Creative Cities Programme
• UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
• Megacities Alliance for Water and Climate
• Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience
• International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities
• World Heritage Cities Programme
• Media and Information Literacy Cities
• UNESCO-Netexplo Observatory Cooperation on Smart Cities

Cities around the world, including the UNESCO Creative Cities, have been affected by the Covid-19 global outbreak. More than ever the power of culture and creativity should be leveraged as a force for resilience, creativity and social cohesion. From Chengdu to Roma, from Mexico to Wuhan, read about the countless initiatives taken by mayors and citizen accross the globe to reinforce ties between communities, support artists and creators.

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