Another very special initiative by UNESCO – the United Nations Education Science and Culture Organisation – aims to acknowledge the commitment by cities to promoting books and to foster reading habits throughout the period of one year in the selected city. The contest is now open for 2021, when the next city awarded will follow in the footsteps of Wroclaw, Poland (2016), Conakry, Guinea (2017), Athens, Greece (2018), Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (2019), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2020) and fourteen other cities since the first edition of the awards in 2001.
There are six main criteria to be considered by the Evaluation Committee, including:
- Dedicated programme implemented through the term and bringing long-term benefits for the partner and society
- Degree of municipal, regional, national and international involvement
- Conformity with the principles of freedom of expression, alongside others.
UNESCO, together with the Advisory Committee will support the selected city in the planning and implementation of its programme of activies programme during the two years preceding its term, while evaluating the whole preparatory work.
Applications are expected by email to wbcc@unesco.org by Thursday, 2 May 2019.