Cultural and creative industries are major drivers of economies by capitalising US $2,3 billion or 3 percent of the global GDP (UNESCO, 2013). Globalization, facilitated by technology accelerated the export of creative goods at about 12 percent per annum in the developing world in the past decades. (UNDP, 2019)Creative economy promotes human-centred growth, creates 29.5 million jobs globally and contributes to implementing of 2030 Agenda in a number of ways: (i) it stimulates innovation, ideas, technologies, and transformative change (UNESCO, 2013); (ii) empowers people and promotes local development/rural economy that is rich with untapped cultural uniqueness (diversity); (iii) empowers women; (iv) demonstrates resilience. Several studies argue that if well-nurtured, the creative economy can be a source of structural economic transformation, socio-economic progress, job creation and innovation while contributing to social inclusion and sustainable human development. (UNDP, 2019)
There is no universal definition of the creative economy. It is composed of cultural and creative industries and includes arts and crafts, advertising, design, entertainment, architecture, books, media, and software. Influenced by the interface with the technologies, the creative economy is an emerging concept dealing with the intersect between creativity, culture, economics, and technology in a contemporary world dominated by images, sounds, texts, and symbols. (UNCTAD, 2018) According to the recent 2019 UNCTAD Report on the creative economy despite a slowdown in global trade since the 2008 financial crisis, the creative economy has remained robust and has exhibited significant growth. With the advancement in digital technologies, education and innovation, creative and knowledge-based industries have emerged as among the dynamic sectors of the global economy. The creative industries generate income through trade and intellectual property rights, and create new opportunities, particularly for SMEs. (UNCTAD, 2015) However, the economic gains are not equally distributed across the globe. The studies demonstrate, that Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America are seeing rapid and unprecedented growth in the creative economy, mainly in the digital economy, facilitated by the supportive policies. These regions account for 93% of the global creative economy revenue and 85% of jobs. By contrast, Africa, the Middle-East, and Latin America and the Caribbean have not yet capitalized on their potential. For these regions, the CCI represents untapped economic potential, and a chance to contribute to the innovation economy and other sectors through supply chain effects.
Growing a dynamic creative economy depends on the proactive policies across many areas — including technology, education, labor markets, macroeconomic policies, gender issues, urbanization, migration, and more. In its recent study on the creative economy, the UNCTAD (2019) suggested separating the usually integrated ‘cultural’ and ‘creative’ policy. Creative industries will be significantly shaped by such technologies as virtual reality, blockchain, and artificial intelligence. They require a different kind of policies that keep a proper balance between the benefits and the risks of such technologies. For instance, the World Economic Forum’s Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology Project focus on building and testing of policy frameworks, that would address such risks and benefits.
UNDP (2019) focuses on developental aspects and impacts of the creative economy and suggests a number of the relevant policy recommendations aimed at supporting the synergies between the creative economy and 2030 Agenda. The UNDP recommends: (i) align the policies for the creative economy with 2030 Agenda and SDGs and integrate the opportunities and challenges related to CCI into their national sustainable development plans, strategies, and budgets; (ii) undertake a greater effort for protecting intellectual property rights; (iii) improve international, regional and South-South cooperation; (iv) envisage in the policies measures aimed at supporting and nurturing talent that is a vital capital in creative economy including through training, education and capacity-building; (v) collect and analyze data to inform policy-making.
Cultural industries and 2030 Agenda are mutually reinforcing. The Agenda 2030 underlined appreciation for cultural diversity and cultures contribution, specifically in preamble paragraphs 8 and 36, and in sustainable development goals and targets 4.7, 8.7, 11.4 and 12.b. Creative economy empowers people to take ownership of their own development and stimulates the innovation and creativity that is becoming increasingly important in the era of a rapid technological change. Cultural and creative industries (CCI) are generally inclusive both on the production and consumption side. The UN has made a concerted effort to promote the cultural and creative economy in the last decade, through collaborations with UNESCO, UNCTAD and UNDP. However, the UNCTAD has issued several thematic reports related to the overview of the global developments in CCI. In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on culture and development (A/65/438).
