HÀ NỘI — Chief Representative of the UNESCO Office in Việt Nam Michael Croft presented a certificate recognising Hà Nội as an official member of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network to Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung at a ceremony in the capital on Friday.

Chung said the participation in the network enabled Hà Nội to increase its competitiveness in investment attraction, stimulate urban regeneration, and develop education programmes and cultural events in association with sustainable development.

Hà Nội is also ambitious to become an envoy and a bridge to connect other cities in Việt Nam and regional countries to join the network, as well as a global intellectual and innovative destination, according to Chung.

The network membership also demonstrates Ha Noi’s responsibility to the region and the world in promoting creativity and increasing the participation of people in cultural life and integration.

Michael Croft said that Hà Nội becoming a creative city helped increase its position besides the title “City for Peace”.

He added that Hà Nội would enhance co-operation with other creative cities in the world as well as relevant agencies, community, and the private sector to realise its innovative economy.

UNESCO launched the Creative Cities Network in 2004 to promote co-operation among cities that recognise creativity as a significant factor in their development.

The network recognises seven factors - craft and folk arts, media, film, design, gastronomy, literature, and music - as creative fields.

The capital city of Hà Nội has a development history of over 1,000 years, and has been in the process of reform and integration, taking creativity and innovative economy as the core in its dynamic, comprehensive and sustainable development.

On October 30, 2019, Hà Nội was honoured as one of the 246 cities joining the UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in the field of design.

A folk cultural festival kicked off in Hà Nội on the same day in response to the city’s participation in the network. — VNS