Foreword – Ernesto Ottone, Assistant Director General for Culture, UNESCO

Culture is fundamental to sustainable development. It shapes identities, strengthens social cohesion, drives innovation, and builds resilience. The World Cities Culture Report reaffirms the essential role of culture in shaping inclusive, sustainable, and resilient urban futures. 

With over half of the world’s population living in cities – a figure that continues to rise – urban centres are at the forefront of global challenges: climate change, social inequalities and digital transformation. Culture offers critical pathways for addressing these challenges, enabling cities to become spaces of creativity, shared purpose, and collective progress. 

At UNESCO, we continue to advocate for the recognition of culture as a stand alone goal in the post-2030 international development agenda. Cities are key to this effort. They are where cultural life flourishes, where policies are implemented, and where communities build their futures together. Like World Cities Culture Forum, we believe that cities can achieve more by working together. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network, with over 350 member cities across eight creative fields, embodies this commitment. Through cooperation and knowledge-sharing, the Network supports cities in placing culture at the heart of local development strategies. The Braga Manifesto, endorsed by Mayors of UNESCO Creative Cities, sets out key priorities for cities, including cultural rights, digital transformation, climate action, the economic dimension of culture, cultural heritage protection, and the link between culture and education. These priorities align with the global vision emphasised in the MONDIACULT 2022 Declaration and guided discussions at MONDIACULT 2025 in Barcelona. 

This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, a milestone that invites reflection on progress made and a renewed commitment to cultural diversity, equity, and access for all. 

The World Cities Culture Report, drawing on data, insights, and case studies from over 40 cities across six continents, offers a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and cultural professionals. It demonstrates how integrating culture into urban strategies contributes to more equitable, innovative, and resilient cities. 

I commend the World Cities Culture Forum for its leadership in producing this flagship report. By convening civic leaders from across the globe, the Forum fosters dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaboration that place culture at the heart of urban development. Through the Global Summit, leadership programmes, and research, they empower city leaders to build thriving communities and economies where culture flourishes. 

Looking forward, it is essential to strengthen partnerships across networks, sectors, levels of government, and regions alike. Our challenges are interconnected, and our responses must reflect that. By placing culture at the core of urban development, we can unlock the full potential of cities as engines of sustainability, inclusion and innovation.  

I encourage cities everywhere to join us – through the World Cities Culture Forum, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, and other platforms – to build cities where culture thrives, diversity is celebrated, and everyone has the opportunity to participate fully in cultural life.  

Thank you. 

Ernesto Ottone
Assistant Director General for Culture, UNESCO