ENGHIEN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE – Dato Wee Hong Seng, Mayor of Kuching South City Council (MBKS), proudly represented Kuching and Malaysia at the 17th UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) Annual Conference, held from June 24 to 28 in Enghien-les-Bains, France. The conference, themed around cultural innovation and sustainability, convened over 350 member cities from 100 countries across seven creative fields.
Kuching, named Malaysia’s first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2021, has been a vital part of the UCCN, leveraging culture and creativity to drive sustainable urban development. “Since its designation, Kuching has spearheaded community-driven initiatives that blend gastronomy, heritage, and sustainability,” stated a press release issued on Wednesday.
A key highlight of the conference was Dato Wee’s presentation at the Mayors’ Forum, a prestigious session attended by 95 mayors and deputy mayors worldwide.
In his address, titled From Braga to Borneo: Implementing the Braga Manifesto through Gastronomy and Culture in Support of the Mondiacult 2025 Agenda, he showcased Kuching’s efforts to integrate cultural policies into local governance, promoting social inclusion and economic empowerment.
“This global platform allowed Kuching to demonstrate how a Borneo city has transformed the Braga Manifesto and Mondiacult 2025 agenda into impactful community programs that preserve heritage while fostering a sustainable, inclusive future,” he remarked.
Dato Wee’s participation underscored Kuching’s dedication to UNESCO’s vision of culture as a global public good and its pivotal role in shaping the post-2030 global development agenda. The conference also facilitated strategic partnerships with other UCCN cities in fields such as gastronomy, crafts, folk arts, design, and literature, opening doors for future collaboration.
