The newest additions bring the network to a total of 246 Creative Cities. 

"All over the world, these cities, each in its way, make culture the pillar, not an accessory, of their strategy," said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay in a statement.

"This favors political and social innovation and is particularly important for the young generations."

The UNESCO-designated World Cities Day aims to showcase exceptional cities that are examples of "innovation and collective intelligence" for the future.

In the category of gastronomy, new members this year include Arequipa, Peru; Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Bergamo, Italy; Hyderabad, India; and Yangzhou, China.

Angoulême, France; Beirut, Lebanon; Nanjing, China; and Wonju, South Korea gained membership for their rich literary heritage.

Havana, Cuba; Metz, France; and Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago were admitted in the category of music.

And Mumbai gained membership via the film category.

Read also: UNESCO names Ambon 'city of music'

Here are the new members of UNESCO's Creative Cities network:

• Afyonkarahisar (Turkey) - Gastronomy 
• Ambon (Indonesia) - Music 
• Angoulême (France) - Literature 
• Areguá (Paraguay) - Crafts and Folk Art 
• Arequipa (Peru) - Gastronomy 
• Asahikawa (Japan) - Design  
• Ayacucho (Peru) - Crafts and Folk Art 
• Baku (Azerbaijan) - Design  
• Ballarat (Australia) - Crafts and Folk Art 
• Bandar Abbas (Iran [Islamic Republic of]) - Crafts and Folk Art 
• Bangkok (Thailand) - Design  
• Beirut (Lebanon) - Literature 
• Belo Horizonte (Brazil) - Gastronomy 
• Bendigo (Australia) - Gastronomy 
• Bergamo (Italy) - Gastronomy 
• Biella (Italy) - Crafts and Folk Art 
• Caldas da Rainha (Portugal) - Crafts and Folk Art 
• Cebu City (Philippines) - Design  
• Essaouira (Morocco) - Music 
• Exeter (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) - Literature 
• Fortaleza (Brazil) - Design  
• Hanoi (Vietnam) - Design   
• Havana (Cuba) - Music 
• Hyderabad (India) - Gastronomy 
• Jinju (Republic of Korea) - Crafts and Folk Art 
• Kargopol (Russian Federation) - Crafts and Folk Art 
• Karlsruhe (Germany) - Media Arts 
• Kazan (Russian Federation) - Music  
• Kırşehir (Turkey) - Music 
• Kuhmo (Finland) - Literature 
• Lahore (Pakistan) - Literature 
• Leeuwarden (Netherlands) - Literature 
• Leiria (Portugal) - Music 
• Lliria (Spain) - Music 
• Mérida (Mexico) - Gastronomy 
• Metz (France) - Music 
• Muharraq (Bahrain) - Design  
• Mumbai (India) - Film 
• Nanjing (China) - Literature  
• Odessa (Ukraine) - Literature 
• Overstrand Hermanus (South Africa) - Gastronomy 
• Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago) - Music 
• Portoviejo (Ecuador) - Gastronomy 
• Potsdam (Germany) - Film 
• Querétaro (Mexico) - Design  
• Ramallah (Palestine) - Music 
• San José (Costa Rica) - Design  
• Sanandaj (Iran [Islamic Republic of]) - Music 
• Santiago de Cali (Colombia) - Media Arts 
• Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) - Music 
• Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - Film 
• Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) - Crafts and Folk Art 
• Slemani (Iraq) - Literature 
• Sukhothai (Thailand) - Crafts and Folk Art 
• Trinidad (Cuba) - Crafts and Folk Art 
• Valladolid (Spain) - Film
• Valledupar (Colombia) - Music
• Valparaíso (Chile) - Music
• Veszprém (Hungary) - Music
• Viborg (Denmark) - Media Arts
• Viljandi (Estonia) - Crafts and Folk Art
• Vranje (Serbia) - Music
• Wellington (New Zealand) - Film
• Wonju (Republic of Korea) - Literature
• Wrocław (Poland) - Literature
• Yangzhou (China) - Gastronomy

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