- Congratulatory Statement
Kwangho Kim
Secretary-General of
Korean National Commission for UNESCO
I would like to offer my warm congratulations to the city of Jinju on the publication
of its new global journal, the International Journal of Crafts and Folk Arts.
The international community is currently striving to achieve the UN Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), the current global development agenda that seeks to
end poverty and other deprivations through improvements to health and education,
the reduction of inequality, and the promotion of sustainable economic growth.
Culture and creativity have a huge part to play in achieving the SDGs, in particular
SDG 11, to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and
sustainable.”
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) is a network for cities that have
recognized creativity as a strategic factor in the sustainable development of safe,
resilient urban environments, and offers a highly effective way for such cities to
learn from each other how to leverage their culture and creativity.
The UCCN was launched in 2004 and now has 246 member cities in 85 UNESCO
member states. Jinju joined the network in 2019, becoming one of 49 members in
the craft and folk art field, and is now launching this new global journal for the craft
and folk art creative field.
The International Journal of Crafts and Folk Arts will be a valuable new platform for
sharing best practices in the UCCN, and offers a vital connection among Creative
Cities particularly in this difficult time of COVID-19, when barriers have been
raised in so many places.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Jinju for the launching of this new
journal and I look forward to seeing it become the go-to magazine for the craft and
folk art field and the UCCN.