Paris and Geneva, 21 July 2008 - UNCTAD, the International Labour Office (ILO), and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are carrying out a joint four-year project to boost the economic potential of creative industries in Fiji, Mozambique, Senegal, Zambia, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The effort is being funded by €2,540,550 from the 9th European Development Fund of the European Commission, and has the institutional support of the Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group. A meeting with representatives from the five agencies was held in Brussels on 16 July to review the status of the project.
Designed and developed by specialists from the three participating agencies, the project will feature target activities aimed at increasing the capacities and competitiveness of creative industries in the five countries, and their expansion through employment and trade. The activities include work with Government officials, entrepreneurs in the entertainment and cultural fields, and creators of art, music, literature, and film.
The creative industries are a fast-growing economic sector which holds great potential for developing countries, which often have rich traditions of art, music, and other forms cultural heritage and a wealth of creative talent. Worldwide trade in the creative industries totalled some US$ 424 billion in 2005, but the large majority of developing countries are not yet able to harness the potential of this field for creating jobs and increasing export earnings.
- The ILO´s work focuses mainly on promoting entrepreneurship, pro-poor growth, employment and decent work in the creative sector
- UNESCO´s work promotes standard setting in the cultural field, seeks to safeguard cultural diversity, encourages dialogue among cultures, and strives to enhance the linkages between culture and development.
- UNCTAD offers policy advice intended to enhance supply capacities and trade as well as attract additional investment to the creative field in the five selected countries.
The first phase of the project consists of a series of analyses, leading to recommendations on how to use the creative industries to help create jobs and promote trade, with the overall objective of boosting economic growth and reducing poverty. A second phase will provide technical assistance for implementing the recommended activities and for follow-up and monitoring. The intent of the pilot project is to offer an example of effective methods for stimulating the creative economies of developing countries.
Further information on this project will be published soon through the programme web site.
