The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Alexander call for Tory minister to visit Dundee and see Unesco impact
Council leader says heeding call to leave UN body would harm city
Dundee’s future could be harmed if the UK leaves the United Nation’s educational body, council leader John Alexander has warned.
The leader of the SNP administration has invited International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt to visit the city after she suggested the UK should withdraw from Unesco.
Dundee is due to host the Unescobacked Creative Cities World Festival in 2022.
The event is seen by some as compensation for the city being told it could not compete for European Capital of Culture 2023 as a result of the UK voting to leave the EU.
The event would seek to attract visitors from all 180 locations in the Creative Cities network.
Mr Alexander said it would be very unfair if Dundee once again missed out on a significant and possibly profitable event because of a government decision.
Pro-Brexit MP Ms Mordaunt has been criticised for suggesting that Britain should leave the UN’s cultural and education body in the footsteps of the USA and Israel.
Both those countries stepped down last year under the instruction of their respective leaders, Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump.
Mr Alexander’s comments come as the city enters its fifth year as the country’s only Unesco certified city of design. The designation has led to hundreds of delegates from other ratified places visiting Dundee.
He said: “The suggestion we should leave Unesco would send entirely the wrong signal that the UK is an outward looking place and flies in the face of what we are trying to achieve.
“Dundee’s success in developing into a city of design relies not only on the infrastructure we have in place and the people who are making change happen, but the support of worldwide organisations and bodies.
“Our Unesco partners helped on both the UK city of culture and European Capital of Culture bids and we continue working closely with them on future projects. There are strong cultural links between Dundee and other cities which we might not have developed if it had not been for our Unesco status and so much of the attention put on Dundee recently is because of this.
“In 2022 we plan on having the first Creative Cities festival, which has been backed by Unesco. Where would leaving Unesco leave us?
“The invitation is open for the secretary to visit Dundee and see the impact Unesco has had.”
Ms Mordaunt is reported to have told Cabinet colleagues she wants Britain to withdraw the £11.1 million funding it contributes to Unesco next year.
The UK Government said it had no plans to cease funding.
The Department for International Trade and Development and Ms Mordaunt were approached for comment. None was forthcoming.