Lyon has become the first French city to join a United Nations network of cities set up to help promote their cultural, social and economic development in diverse fields ranging from literature and cinema to gastronomy and folk art.
The director General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) stated that Lyon has been selected as the tenth member of the Creative Cities Network. It is also the first in the network to be designated as a 'City of Media Arts.' Lyon's long-standing experience with digital media and culture, particularly digital games, was critical to the decision by a panel of experts from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to accept the French city's application. Another 20 cities around the world have applied to join the Creative Cities Network and are awaiting for the evaluation.
