City to send a representative to Brazil for UNESCO meeting

GEELONG will be represented at this year’s UNESCO Creative Cities annual general meeting in Santos, Brazil, but the City of Greater Geelong has not yet decided who.

The decision was made at the council’s meeting last week, with councillors authorising travel for mayor Stephanie Asher or a delegate to attend the July 13-19 meeting.

In a statement released last Tuesday, the council said attending the AGM was an obligation as part of Geelong’s UNESCO City of Design title.

While it’s estimated the trip will cost $12,000, Cr Asher said she had always supported councillors undertaking “relevant travel” to represent the region.

“Whether the reason for travel is to promote our city, to develop relationships of benefit to the Geelong region, or for specific research purposes, I think it’s critical to broaden our horizons.

“It’s vital for us to show support as a city for the Creative Cities model and to respect our designation as the only City of Design in Australia.

“It will also allow us to continue to pitch for Geelong to host a future Cities of Design subnetwork meeting, so showcasing our tourism, design and creativity credentials will be paramount.”

About 230 UNESCO Creative Cities will be in attendance at the AGM. The trip will also include a visit to Curitiba, Brazil, which is also a City of Design.