Representatives from more than 60 cities around the world participating in a UNESCO meeting in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, agreed Wednesday to deepen exchanges and share more information on developing their distinct cultures.
The members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, established in 2004 by the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a means to protect the diversity of cultures, also agreed to report on their activities as they wrapped up their two-day annual meeting.
Currently, 69 cities are designated by UNESCO as Creative Cities for their distinct art and culinary cultures. Japan counts six of its cities as members of the network, including Sapporo and Kanazawa.
Kanazawa became the first Japanese city to host the network's meeting, drawing about 150 participants from 61 cities.
Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Lynne Patchett, chief of executive officer in UNESCO's Culture Sector, emphasized the importance of sharing information among member cities to learn from one another's successes.
During the meeting, some participants proposed strengthening exchanges among member cities beyond the fields of art and food, and helping young craftsmen.