Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova said at Friday's ceremony at which new UNESCO's cities of literature were declared that the organisation's network was a great confirmation that culture enabled sustainable development.

In its candidacy for the title, Ljubljana has committed to promoting the literary scene in the city with a number of events. It will also provide refuge for persecuted authors from all over the world in cooperation with the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN).

The Slovenian capital will also promote reading and accessibility of books for all age groups and support the well-developed network of libraries and book shops, the Ljubljana Municipality said in a press release on Tuesday.

Ljubljana, which also carried the UNSECO's World Book Capital title in 2012, was declared UNESCO's City of Literature along with 8 other cities around the world, which joined the ten cities that were given the title between 2004 and 2014.