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UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES NETWORKCALL FOR APPLICATIONS2023
APPLICATION GUIDELINESUNESCO CREATIVE CITIES NETWORK
2023 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES
WHAT IS THE UNESCO CREATIVE CITIES NETWORK?
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to foster international
cooperation within and across cities worldwide that utilize culture and creativity as a
strategic lever for sustainable urban development.
The Network brings together cities from all continents and regions with different geodemographic, economic, social, cultural and environmental settings. They work together
towards a common mission: placing culture and creativity at the core of their urban
development plans to make cities safe, resilient, inclusive, sustainable and future-proof inlinewith the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, notably Goal 11:
Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network is composed of cities committed to pooling theirresources, experiences and knowledge for the common objectives set forth in the Network’s
Mission Statement, and to actively cooperating at the international level through inter-city
partnerships.
As a laboratory of ideas and innovative practices, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network
brings a tangible contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals throughpeople-centered policymaking as well as place-based projects and initiatives. The Network
further brings forth cities’ central role in sustainable development, highlighting theimportance of the local dimension in the process, in line with UNESCO’s programmatic
priorities in the field of culture.
As a follow-up to the adoption of the MONDIACULT 2022 Declaration at the UNESCO World
Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development in September 2022, which
reaffirmed culture as a “global public good”, the Network is committed to supporting thesystemic anchoring of culture in public policies at the local level through strengthened
engagement and mobilization of local stakeholders and partners.
WHO CAN APPLY?
The Call for Applications is open to all cities of UNESCO’s Member States and Associate
Members.1
UNESCO reserves itself the right to restrict the Call for Applications, by taking into accountspecific geographical or thematic priorities, and may limit the maximum number ofdesignations. For the 2023 Call, a maximum of two applications from a same country,
and in two different creative fields, can be eligible for designation.
Moreover, applications from under-represented regions within the Network2, especiallythose from Africa and the Arab States, will be encouraged in order to enhance the Network’s
geographic representation. The specific Cooperation Framework will be made available tocities from these two regions in the current Call (please refer to the Annex for further details
1 Please refer to the complete list of UNESCO’s Member States and Associate Members at
https://en.unesco.org/countries.
2 Regions defined by UNESCO are Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North
America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. For more information, please refer to:https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000380873 (pp.141-143).

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on the Cooperation Framework).
Cities that have submitted two consecutive unsuccessful applications to the UNESCO
Creative Cities Network, shall respect a moratorium of 4 years before presenting a new
application.
UCCN member cities recognize the importance of sustainable and inclusive urban
development, and therefore commit to enhancing the contribution of culture and creativity
to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

➢

The Call for Applications is open to cities of UNESCO’s Member Statesand Associate Members.

➢

Each application shall include, among other required documents, anofficial letter of intention signed by the Mayor of the city, as wellas an official letter of support by the National Commission for
UNESCO concerned.

➢

For the 2023 Call for Applications, a maximum of two applications in
two different creative fields from a same Member State or
Associate Member can be submitted. Consequently, the National
Commissionconcerned can endorse a maximum of two applications in
two different creative fields from the country.

➢

In order to strengthen the geographical representation of the Network,
please note that the Cooperation Framework specifically targeting
applicantcities from Africa and Arab States, which are currently underrepresented within the Network, is being continued for the 2023 Call.
Please refer to the Annex hereto.

SELECTION CRITERIA
A city may be designated as a UNESCO Creative City based on its assets and capacity inculture and creativity, but also on the content, impact and outreach of its proposed action
plan. It shall also demonstrate its potential contribution to the Network’s overall vision andobjectives, as well as its commitment to UNESCO’s mandate and priorities, including thatof promoting cooperation, solidarity and dialogue at all levels, as well as the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development.
The Director-General of UNESCO is responsible for the designation of the cities inconformity with the guidelines set out below, following an internal technical pre-screening andan external evaluation by:(i)

UNESCO-designated independent experts specialized in the seven creative fields
covered by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and other cultural and creative
sectors,and/or in urban development;(ii)

The member cities that are representative of the seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk
Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music.

The UNESCO designation indicates recognition of the quality, relevance and feasibility ofthe strategy and the proposed action plan outlined in the application to implement theobjectives of the Network.
Applications shall focus primarily on the chosen creative field among the seven creative
fields covered by the Network. Applicant cities are nevertheless also encouraged to address
other creative fields covered by the Network, highlighting existing and/or potential synergies
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between them.
Applicant cities must commit to the implementation of all the objectives laid out in the
Network’s Mission Statement, as well as respond to all the criteria set out below, which will
be used to guide the evaluation process:(1) Motivation for the application and the primary development opportunities andchallenges to be met, global development vision, strategies and policies as well
asexpected impact of the designation (Sections 6, 7 and 8 of the Application Form):–

Demonstrated commitment of the applicant city to helping achieve the Network’s
objectives, at both the local and international level;–

Existing development strategies and policies that strengthen the role of culture
and creativity in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda;–

Coherence of the objectives and priorities of the applicant city with the objectives
and fields of action of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network; and–Expected mid- and long-term impacts of the designation on the sustainable
development of the city.

(2) Process for preparing the application (Section 9 of the Application Form):–

Demonstrated involvement of the municipality in the design and preparation of
the application and in the potential implementation of the proposed strategy andaction plan in case of designation;–

Association of public, private and civil society stakeholders on a common project
supported by the city; and–Participation of the local creative sector concerned (creators, professionalorganizations, cultural enterprises, etc.) in the design and preparation of theapplication.

(3) Comparative assets that the applicant city would bring to the Network (Section 10of the Application Form):–

Existence, at the time of application, of a development strategy or actions andinitiatives aimed at strengthening the role of culture and creativity in the socioeconomic development of the city and in urban regeneration;–

Historical importance and role of the creative field concerned for the applicant
city as well as the field’s contemporary economic and social context;–

Potential contribution of the cultural and creative assets of the applicant city,
particularly in the creative field concerned, towards achieving the Network’s
objectives;–

Expertise of the city in organizing local, national and/or international fairs,
conferences, conventions, exhibitions and other activities aimed at
professionals and experts, as well as the general public;–

Quality, diversity and impact of mechanisms set up to promote creativity, arts
education, professional training, capacity building and research in the creative
field concerned;–

Existence and/or development of cultural facilities and infrastructures aimed at
professionals and the general public dedicated to the practice, production,
promotion and dissemination of cultural activities, goods and services in thecreative field concerned;–

Quality, relevance and impact of programmes to foster greater participation in4

cultural life, especially those aimed at disadvantaged or vulnerable groups ofsociety;–

Capacity to involve main professional organizations and non-governmentalorganizations representing civil society in realizing the proposed plan of action;–

Scope, quality and diversity of the international cooperation initiatives developedby the city in the creative field concerned;–

Quality, impact and innovative nature of the policies and measures implemented
to support the creation and growth of dynamic local cultural and creative
industries,notably in the creative field concerned; and–Experience in local and international development of cross-cutting projects
creating synergies between the creative field concerned and other creative
fields covered by the Network.

(4) Contributions to achieving the objectives of the Network (Section 11 of the
Application Form):–

Fostering and making use of the principal cultural and creative assets of the cityin the proposed action plan;–

Relevance, coherence and feasibility of the proposed action plan in terms ofachieving the Network’s objectives at local and international level;–

Scope, quality, diversity and innovative approach of the initiatives proposed intheaction plan to achieve the Network’s objectives at both local and international
level;–

Inclusion of inter-city cooperation initiatives involving cities from the global south;–

Capacity to create synergies between the creative field concerned and othercreative fields of the Network;–

Adequacy, feasibility and sustainability of the funding strategy and the proposed
budget;–Establishment of a specific structure to manage and execute the action plan
involving stakeholders from the public and private sectors and civil society; and–Quality and relevance of the communication and awareness-raising plan
regarding the Network and the impact of the proposed action plan, aimed at
attracting the interest of a broad public.

The designated cities must commit to submitting the quadrennial Membership Monitoring
Report. This exercise ensures their full engagement and active contribution to achieving the
Network’s objectives and UNESCO’s mandate and priorities, as well as to promoting theexchange of information and good practices between member cities. The informationcollected through the monitoring exercise will also contribute to the comprehensive Global
Report on Cultural Policies to be developed in line with the MONDIACULT 2022 Declaration,
which will help support evidence-based global advocacy for culture in the international post2030 agenda.

5II. GUIDELINES FOR APPLYING
HOW TO APPLY?
To become a member of the UCCN, applicant cities must submit an application that clearly
demonstrates their assets, commitment and capacity to contribute to the Network’s objectives
through the implementation of the city’s action plan proposed in the application.
These guidelines are intended to assist applicant cities in developing and completing theApplication Form.
KEY FACTORS TO CONSIDER DURING THE PREPARATION OF AN APPLICATIONIn the preparation of an application to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, it is highly advisedthat applicant cities carefully consider the following factors:▪

Participatory process: the preparation and formulation of the application must be led by
the municipality and should result from a participative process involving relevant
stakeholders and partners of the public and private sectors as well as civil society.

▪

Forward-looking approach: the cultural heritage and current creative assets of theapplicant city should be the pillars to build a consistent and progressive action plan, which
contributes to the sustainable urban development of the city in line with the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

▪

Inclusive sustainable development: UNESCO Creative Cities foster sustainable urban
development building on culture and creativity as levers to achieve development goals. In
this context, when formulating their activities and programmes of the action plan, applicant
cities are required to demonstrate their engagement to the implementation of the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development notably at the city level, building on an inclusive andtransversal approach encompassing the economic, social and environmental dimensions.

▪

Long-term commitment: cities should take note that the designation as a UNESCO
Creative City implies a continuous and active commitment towards UNESCO’s value andmandate, as well as the implementation of the UCCN’s objectives as outlined in the Mission
Statement. In particular, applicant cities must be committed to preparing and consistently
implementing their action plans, regularly reporting on their achievements through thequadrennial Membership Monitoring Report, actively participating in the UCCN Annual
Conferences, as well as supporting and contributing to activities undertaken by UNESCO
and the UCCN Secretariat through direct participation and/or voluntary contributions,amongst others.

▪

Sustainable action plan, capacities and resources: the application should include a
proposed strategy for the city, accompanied by a four-year action plan setting out specificprojects and initiatives at the local and international level to be implemented following thepossible designation. The action plan should also provide detailed indications of priorities,
capacities and resources (both financial and human). The expected outcome and impact ofthe proposed initiatives and projects to be undertaken by the city (if designated) will be
subject to an evaluation through the aforementioned monitoring and reporting process.

▪

Exchanges and cooperation: exchanges among member cities are critical for thedevelopment, reinforcement and credibility of the Network. It is therefore important for
applicant cities to demonstrate both their commitment and capacities to develop
collaborative activities and initiatives at the national, regional and international level with
UNESCO and other UCCN member cities.

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PREPARING THE APPLICATION
Who should be involved in the application process?
The city should first establish a management/coordination team within the municipality or
designate a specific department, centre or entity in charge of developing the application. A
focal point should be designated, acting as the liaison person with UNESCO. This team will beultimately responsible for drafting the application. In case of designation, the team along witha representative of the municipality may also be responsible for carrying out the day-to-day
management of activities related to the Network.
Although the application must be led by local public authorities, it should also reflect widestakeholder consultation and support across the city and genuinely speak on behalf of thecommunities concerned, the public and private sectors, as well as civil society of the city. It istherefore important to elaborate the application in close collaboration with all relevant
stakeholders and actors such as creators, professionals from the cultural and creative
industries, universities and academia, policy makers, youth leagues, non-governmentalorganizations and associations, as well as different relevant public authorities or departmentsin the areas of culture, education, social affairs, economic development, urban infrastructure,communication, planning, etc.
Once relevant stakeholders have been identified, it is strongly advised to establish a
consultative group that will support the preparation of the application. Such a consultative
group can be made up of a diverse range of stakeholders and actors, including high-level
representatives from the municipal government, representatives from civil society, cultural
practitioners and producers, key operators of the creative sector, and other related
professional associations and organizations.
Sequence for preparing an application
Although there is no universal and standard process for the preparation of an application, thefollowing chart with the highlighted main steps of the process could be used as inspiration:

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When adapting this proposed sequence to an applicant city’s context, please consider thefollowing issues:▪

Drafting and submitting an application can take longer than anticipated. Adequate timeneeds to be dedicated to the preparation phase, the constitution of a management teamand the consultative group.

▪

The management team and the focal point should start by reading carefully the UCCN
Mission Statement, Application Form and the present Application Guidelines. Additional
information on the Network and its activities is available on the website:
http://en.unesco.org/creative-cities/.

▪

It is important to ensure an active participation of all the relevant local stakeholders andactors to reinforce engagement and ownership of the process. It also serves to gather thenecessary information on the cultural assets, experiences and expertise of the city, sketch
out the main lines of the city’s vision, strategy and action plan.

Filling the Application Form
Applications must be submitted using the official 2023 Application Form available on the
UCCN website. The standard Application Form is prepared by the Secretariat of the UNESCO
CreativeCities Network and shall not be altered in any way. Applicant cities should only use
this standard form for submitting their application.
Please note, a word limit has been set in each section of the Application Form. Therefore, itwill not be possible to enter additional text once the limit is reached. Applicant cities can use
the ‘Word Count’ function to keep track of the word limit.
All the sections of the Application Form must be completed to be considered complete
and valid.
Applicant cities are encouraged to provide relevant information following the instructions
provided in the Application Form. The information provided should not be repeated acrossdifferent sections unless it is relevant to the concerned sections. It is thus important to notethat providing irrelevant information is strongly discouraged.
Applicant cities should provide brief answers to each section and avoid a simple listing ofactivities, initiatives or infrastructures. Information provided should be updated and relevant inorder for the evaluators to assess the city’s cultural and creative assets as well as the feasibility
and potential of its proposed action plan.
In case the applicant city has no relevant information related to a particular section or field, thecity is requested to enter the following phrase “No relevant information to provide” for the partconcerned.
The application must be consistent and succinct, and written in clear and fluent English or
French. Applications submitted in other languages will not be taken into consideration. Whenneither of the working languages is familiar to the team/person drafting the application, we
recommend writing the application in a native language and then translating the final version
through a certified translator. Poorly translated applications may lead to confusion in theevaluation phase.
The application must be submitted via email to ccnapplications@unesco.org, with the subject:“2023 Application of [name of the applicant city]”. This email must include the following
attachments:(i)

A complete list of all the documents included in the application file;(ii) The completed formal 2023 Application Form in its standard Word format (.doc)
available on the UCCN’s website;(iii) A formal letter of intention from the Mayor of the applicant city presenting thecandidature and the support of the municipality;9

(iv) A formal letter of support of the candidature from the National Commission for
UNESCO of the country in which the city is located;(v) Two formal letters of support from active main national professional associationsin the creative field concerned3;(vi) Three photos of the applicant city closely related to the creative field concerned(JPEG, max. 3MB each); and(vii) The form “Cession of Rights and Register of Photos”, which is annexed to theApplication Form, dully filled for each of the three respective photos.
NOTE: There is no form or precise format requirements for the above-mentioned letters.
However, it is recommended that they should be brief (no longer than 2 pages each)and that they clearly indicate the main reasons of the signatory’s full support to theapplication. The total size of the email with all required attachments included must notexceed 30MB.
No other document or attachment will be accepted and considered in the evaluation process.
A maximum of 2 URL links to related websites may be included in the Application Form,providing additional information about the city and/or the creative field concerned (please referto the Form). The applicant city is also encouraged to provide information related to social
media handles for the city (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.).

The Application Form, in its preconceived standard Word format
accompanied by the documents described above, must reach the
UNESCO Secretariat through one single email:Via: ccnapplications@unesco.org
Deadline for submission: 30 June 2023, (11:59 pm CET)

Applications that are not received in the required standard format, as well as those thatare incomplete and/or received after the above-mentioned deadline will not be
considered.
UNESCO will not be responsible for the late delivery of submissions due to the lack ofanticipation or possible technical difficulties (such as due to the size of the attachments). It is
the sole responsibility of the applicant cities to ensure that submissions are received by the
Secretariat on time. Please note that a strict deadline is applied with no exceptions made. An
acknowledgement of receipt will be sent to the applicant city through email once the UCCN
Secretariat receives the submitted application file.
For the 2023 Call for Applications, a set of tutorials has been updated to assist applicant cities
to better understand the UCCN application process. These tutorials provide a comprehensive
overview of: i) the objectives of the Network; ii) the main activities of the Network; and iii) what
a UNESCO Creative City is; amongst other significant issues closely related to the Network.
Applicant cities are highly encouraged to go through these tutorials before commencing theapplication the preparation. The video tutorials can be accessed using the following link: 2023
Call for Applications | Creative Cities Network (unesco.org).

3 For example, if applying to the creative field of literature, a letter of endorsement from the National

Writers’ Association would fulfil this requirement.

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TENTATIVE TIMETABLE OF THE 2023 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

21 March

Launch of the Call

Deadline for Submission
30 JuneOnly applications submitted to ccnapplications@unesco.org,
using the standard UCCN 2023 Application Form and received by
30 June 2023, (11:59 pm CET), will be processed. Applications
received in a non-standard format will not be consideredTechnical Pre-screening
Until 16 July

Technical pre-screening by UNESCO Secretariat to verify eligibilityof the applications (required documents provided; form duly
completed; formal letters attached as per Guidelines, etc.)

Parallel Evaluation
17 July –17 September

Until 30 October

Evaluation in parallel by independent experts appointed by
UNESCO and the UCCN member cities of the same creative field

Finalization of the Evaluation Process

Announcement of the Designation
31 October(World Cities
Day)

Designation announcement by the Director-General of UNESCO (tobe made available on the UNESCO website and through its
communicationchannels and networks)

11III. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do cities apply?
Cities are invited to during the opening period of the Call for Applications. As aforementioned,
applications must be submitted by email using the standard Application Form. Applications
submitted in any other formats or altered versions of the standard document will not be
considered.
Where can applicant cities find additional information on the UCCN and theapplication process?
To better understand the Network and its main objectives, activities, member cities and otherkey information, the UCCN Secretariat has updated a set of tutorials to support applicant cities
in the current Call for Applications. The tutorials illustrate the application process and the key
steps that need to be taken into account while preparing the application. To access thetutorials, kindly visit: 2023 Call for Applications | Creative Cities Network (unesco.org).
When is the application deadline?
The deadline for applications is announced on the UCCN website under the Call for Applications
section 2023 Call for Applications | Creative Cities Network (unesco.org). For the 2023 Call,the deadline is 30 June 2023, (11:59 pm CET). Please kindly note that incomplete applicationsor those received after this date will not be considered.
In which languages should the application be submitted?
Applications can only be submitted in either English or French. However, when an application
file is submitted in French, an official translation in English is highly recommended to facilitate
the evaluation process.
Which additional documents should be provided with the application?
A valid Application Form must be accompanied by all the other documents required in the
Application Form. Please note that no other documents will be taken into account during theevaluation process.
How do we send our application?
The complete application file must be submitted via one single email to
ccnapplications@unesco.org, with the subject: “2023 Application of [name of the applicant
city]”.
The total size of the email with all required attachments included must not exceed 30MB. Dueto technical restrictions, emails that exceed this size limit may not reach UNESCO. The
Organization is not responsible for any technical shortfall during the transmission of theapplication.
Please contact us at ccnapplications@unesco.org in case that you encounter technicaldifficulties during the submission process.

12How many cities per country can receive the endorsement of the National Commission
for UNESCO concerned to submit their application?
For the 2023 Call for Applications, a maximum of two applications in two different creative
fields from a same Member State or Associate Member can be submitted. Consequently, theNational Commission for UNESCO of the country in which the applicant city is located canendorse a maximum of two applications in two different creative fields from the country.
Kindly note, a formal letter of support from the National Commission concerned is required tocomplete the application file. Incomplete application files including those lack of the letter of
support will result in the applications being automatically deemed invalid.
How many cities per country may be eligible to the designation?
As of the 2021 Call, a maximum of two applications from the same country, and in two different
creative fields, may be eligible for designation.
When and how will the designation be announced?
The designation announcement will be made on the UCCN website and through other
UNESCO communication channels and networks on 31 October 20234 (the confirmed date
will be announced on the UCCN website in due course). A formal letter will be sent to each of
the eligible cities (whose applications will be evaluated) to inform the result in the days following
the designation announcement.
To allow for a considered and impartial evaluation of the applications, we kindly ask applicant
cities to refrain from requesting information on their applications or the evaluation results during
the process.
Who evaluates the application?
The evaluation process is implemented and coordinated by UNESCO. The process foresees
a technical pre-screening and a parallel evaluation by independent experts and the member
cities of the Network. To ensure the independence of the evaluators, no information on theiridentity nor evaluation is communicated.
Applicant cities are required not to exert any influence or lobby during the evaluation process.
The final decision on designation lies with the Director-General of UNESCO, following
consultation with external advice provided by independent experts as well as by the member
cities organized in the seven creative fields.
How to proceed in the event of technical problems with the application?
It is advisable that all applicant cities prepare their application as early as possible. The UCCN
Secretariat will only be able to provide technical assistance with your application (such as for
issues related to the submission of the application file) should there be sufficient time available.
Moreover, it is not UNESCO’s responsibility to either follow up on the individual application
process of the applicant cities or give specific orientations or guidance for each case.
Please contact us at ccnapplications@unesco.org for any technical difficulties or generalinquiries about the application process.
Should a creative field be specified in the application?
Yes, a creative field must be specified, and the application submitted must focus on thatparticular creative field. The creative fields covered by the Network are the following: Crafts
and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts and Music.

4 The United Nations General Assembly designated 31 October as World Cities Day, by its

resolution 68/239.

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Can a city apply for more than one creative field?
Please note that an applicant city can choose only one of the seven creative fields
covered by the Network. This field should be considered as the focus of the application albeit
such creative field may interact with other creative fields. Innovative and transversal
approaches across various creative fields are encouraged.
Can adjacent areas of the city be involved in the application?
It is possible for the applicant city to involve its adjacent region in the application processand
reflect the latter’s contribution to the city’s proposed strategy and action plan. However, theapplicant city must bear primary responsibility and accountability for the application and the
proposed strategy and action plan put forward in the application. In case of designation, only
the city will receive the designation and become a member of the Network.
Does the size of a city matter?
Currently, there is no limitation to the number of inhabitants in a city applying for themembership of the Network. However, only cities can be members of the Network.
We have additional media items we would like to attach to our application, how could
we provide these?
Submissions can only be made using the standard Application Form through email. Items in
hard copy will not be accepted.
However, a maximum of two external website links can be provided in the Application Form,alongside the information related to social media handles for the city (for example, Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter, etc.).
Can images, charts or diagrams be directly inserted in the application?
In order to standardize the evaluation process, it is not possible to include images, charts ordiagrams directly in the Application Form, although three photos of the applicant city must be
included in the application file. However, in case of designation, a city can submit these
additional materials with a view to reinforcing its visibility.
Which considerations should guide the proposed budget in the application?
There is no minimum or maximum set amount foreseen for the provisional budget included in
the application. However, the evaluators will assess the quality of the strategy and the action
plan through the consistency, feasibility and sustainability of the proposed budget
corresponding tothe planned activities. The budget proposed should fit a city’s size, resources
and ambitions.

14ANNEXCOOPERATION FRAMEWORKFOR APPLICANT CITIES FROM AFRICA AND ARAB STATES
Promoting cultural diversity and strengthening geographical outreach: a global
commitment
UNESCO stands for cultural diversity as a source of enrichment for all of humanity. The
UNESCO Creative Cities Network, an international network of exchange and cooperation for
cities, aims to ensure geographical representation of cities across all world regions. It iscommitted to strengthening cooperation with and among cities that have recognized creativity
as a strategic factor of sustainable development as regards to economic, social, cultural andenvironmental aspects. Building partnerships and exchanging knowledge and good practices
among member cities are one of the Network’s founding principles and objectives.
Beyond significant efforts to improve the cultural diversity and geographical representation of
the Network, cities from the Global South are still under-represented among its members. A
majority of around 90 countries represented in the Network are from the Global North. This
imbalance was acknowledged by UNESCO and the UCCN member cities as a key challenge
to be addressed.
First introduced in 2017, the specific cooperation framework was open to applicant cities fromthe Africa region. During the 2019 Call for Applications, this mechanism was further extended totechnically support applicant cities from the Arab States as well.
With the objective to further this effort, for the 2023 Call for Applications, the cooperation
framework will be continued to encourage applications from Africa and the Arab States
regions5.
Ensuring the diversity of the Network’s member cities is critical to ensure the Network’s
sustainability and outreach, as well as its capacity to demonstrate the power of creativity forsustainable development in diverse economic, social, cultural and environmental contexts.
Opening up the Network to cities from the Global South also offers the opportunity to explore
new dimensions of creativity, often closely linked to local development, which can be a sourceof mutual learning for member cities. The enhancement also aligns with UNESCO’scommitment to strengthening North-South and South-South cooperation towards building
sustainable and resilient cities of tomorrow and achieving the 17 Sustainable Development
Goals.
Creating effective cooperation: pairing applicant cities with member cities
Cities from the Global South have specific expectations from the Network, including receiving
practical support and possibilities of mentoring. Similarly, some member cities have expressed
their willingness to commit to broader, more systematic cooperation with their counterparts
from the Global South to support their applications and active participation in the Network.
Through this specific Cooperation Framework, UNESCO invites applicant cities from Africa
and the Arab States to express their interest in cooperation with current member cities in the
preparation of their application, but also, eventually, in the implementation of their action planin case of their designation. Meanwhile, UNESCO encourages its Creative Cities to commit tothis Cooperation Framework and to express their interest in this city-to-city partnership.

5

Regions defined by UNESCO are Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North
America, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The list of Member States and Associate Membersthat are eligible for participating in the Cooperation Framework can be found here:
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000380873 (pp.141-143)

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Expressions of interest from applicant cities of these two regions shall reach UNESCO
no later than 3 April 2023. The UCCN Secretariat will then coordinate with the creative
clusters concerned to identify member cities interested in partnering with the requesting
applicant cities. If successful, the Secretariat will liaise with the paired cities so as to establish
the cooperation between them by 13 April 2023.

NB

While the cooperation framework aims to improve the graphicalrepresentation within the Network, it does not prejudge the final decisionon the designation, which is based on the evaluations undertaken byindependent experts and member cities.

Selected applicant cities will receive technical support from their counterpart city in the
preparation of their application. The support may be provided in the form of technicalassistance, field missions and/or partnering according to the pair’s mutual agreement. Partnercities are encouraged to pursue their cooperation if the applicant city is designated, so as tofacilitate the smooth implementation of the proposed action plan as well as extend the scope
and the impact of this Cooperation Framework through potential collective activities andprojects.

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