On 31 October 2023, Gwalior and Kozhikode of India were included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). UNESCO announced this on its official website.

By the year 2050, 68 percent of the world's population is estimated to live in urban areas.

Gwalior was ranked in 'Music' and Kozhikode in 'Literature' category:

Gwalior of Madhya Pradesh has made it to this prestigious list in the 'Music' category, while Kozhikode of Kerala has been included in this list in the 'Literature' category.

A total of 55 cities from across the world are included in UCCN:

According to UNESCO, a total of 55 cities of the world including Gwalior and Kozhikode have been included in this list. The cities included in the complete list of 55 cities of UNESCO are mainly:
- Gwalior :- Music
- Kozhikode:- Creative field of literature
- Rio de Janeiro:- Literature
- Bukhara:- Crafts and Folk Arts,
- Casablanca:- Media Arts,
- Chongqing:- Design,
- Kathmandu:- Involved in the Film sector.

UCCN covers 350 cities from more than 100 countries around the world:

This list of UCCN now includes 350 cities from more than 100 countries.
According to a statement issued by UNESCO, these new cities are included in the list for their strong commitment to using culture and creativity as part of their development strategies and demonstrating innovative practices in human-centred urban planning.
The 350 cities are included in the UCCN list represent seven creative sectors such as crafts and folk arts, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts and music.

55 new cities participating in UCCN Annual Conference 2024:

The newly nominated creative cities are invited to participate in the 2024 UCCN Annual Conference to be held in Braga, Portugal from 1 to 5 July.

Theme of UCCN Annual Conference 2024:

‘Bringing Youth to the Table for the Next Decade’ is the theme of the conference.

Duties of cities included in UCCN:

By joining UCCN, cities are committed to sharing their best practices and developing partnerships involving the public and private sectors as well as civil society.
Selected cities will collaborate with network members to strengthen their resilience in the face of emerging threats such as climate change, rising inequality, as well as rapid urbanisation.

UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN):

Established: Started in 2004.
The objective: to promote cooperation between cities that recognize creativity as a strategic factor in their urban development.
The objective of Sustainable Development Goal 11 is related to sustainable cities and communities.

The seven creative areas at UCCN:

Crafts and folk art,
media arts,
Movie,
design,
gastronomy,
literature and
Music included.

Indian cities included in UCCN:

Jaipur:- Crafts and Folk Arts (2015).
Varanasi:- Creative City of Music (2015).
Chennai:- Creative City of Music (2017).
Mumbai:- Film (2019).
Hyderabad:- Gastronomy (2019).
Srinagar:- Crafts and Folk Arts (2021).
Gwalior:- Sangeet (2023).
Kozhikode:- Creative in Literature (2023).

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization:

Established :- 1945
Headquarters:- Paris (France).
UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It strives to establish peace through international cooperation in the fields of education, science and culture.