18 November, 2008 - 18 November, 2008

Location: HQ

Objectives The creative economy has recently been identified as a very important economic segment of most developed economies. Unfortunately, this has also meant a significant outflow of resources from developing countries despite its huge potential for economic development and social inclusion. The programme aims to mobilize Southern countries to further capitalize on the wealth of their creative economies as a tool for development and the achievement of the MDGs. The agenda of the creative economy for development is built on three mutually supportive pillars: (a) stimulating the production and sharing of conceptual and practical knowledge in the global South; (b) identifying and fostering the creation and expansion of market opportunities to include creative products and services from the South; and (c) networking across sectors and agents in the global South by promoting dialogue and by helping to break artificial barriers for access to information and experiences. The main focus of the strategy of the Special Unit to advance the agenda of the creative economy for development is the engagement of Southern institutions and United Nations entities, in particular UNCTAD, UNESCO and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in concrete partnership initiatives, including matching in-kind resources and support for civil-society organizations in the global South in close cooperation with governments and the private sector. Achievements One of the numerous achievements of this initiative was the convening of the International Forum on Creative Economy for Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in November 2006. The aim of the Forum was to: (a) understand the creative economy and its relevance to development; (b) advance dialogue on ways in which Southern countries can capitalize on their creative wealth; and (c) support Southern partnerships to strengthen market mechanisms, knowledge and networking. To promote production and sharing of knowledge on the importance of the creative economy for development, a joint Special Unit-UNCTAD multi-agency creative economy report was compiled with contributions from several United Nations entities, including ITC, UNCTAD, UNESCO and WIPO. In the report, an innovative set of statistics was compiled by UNCTAD on trade in creative goods and services, highlighting the relevance of the creative economy for development. The report also provides evidence of the huge outflow of resources from developing countries to this segment of the market. To advance dialogue on ways that countries of the South can capitalize on their creative wealth, the Special Unit participated in the Creative Economy Forum held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in December 2007. The Forum was organized by the Special Unit in partnership with the Secretary of Culture of Sao Paulo and the National Development Bank of Brazil. Another major achievement has been the formulation of the Global South Creative Economy Expo Master Plan and initial negotiations with Shanghai for hosting a Creative Economy Expo. A pilot exchange programme involving NGOs from Kenya and Rwanda and aiming at capacity-building in the areas of income-generation and the promotion of social inclusion in the creative economy have provided a good model for similar programmes. Given that many small island developing countries and least developed countries of Africa and Asia have very rich creative industries, this approach provides an authentic way to value culture and bring communities out of poverty. The partnerships and sharing of resources outlined earlier have demonstrated the relevance of the creative economy as a way for developing countries to develop and market creative products and understand the market. It will also be the basis for launching a Creative Economy Expo to be held in China in 2010.

Manager: Francisco Simplicio

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