Strengthening the Creative Industries for Development in ... - unctad

38 PART 3. CREATIVE INDUSTRIES POLICY REVIEW
3.8.2 AUDIOVISUAL SECTOR
The audiovisual sector is or particular interest to developing countries because it generates jobs and it
also is a vehicle of expression of cultural identities. Therefore, countries feel compelled to protect the
audiovisual sector and are reluctant to conduct negotiations or take on specific liberalization
commitments within the framework of the WTO. This trend is reflected at the regional level within
SADC, as audiovisual services have not been addressed in the SADC Protocol on Transport,
Communications and Meteorology.
Even where commitments are made, it is mostly in motion picture projection services and motion
picture and videotape production and distribution services. The analysis of the audio-visual sector is
further elaborated in chapter 4.
3.9 TECHNOLOGY AND CONNECTIVITY
The interface between technology, culture and economics is the essence of the creative economy.
Information and communication technology (ICT) plays a key role for strengthening the creative
industries, due to two phenomena: digitization and convergence. ICT is important as a creative product
itself, expressed by the digitalized form of creative content in products like new media, software, video
games and cartoons, or as an enabler of connectivity used as a tool for marketing and distribution of
other creative products such as music, films, books and news, or creative services such as advertising
and architecture. 94 Therefore, digital technologies have opened up huge opportunities to boost the
potential of the creative industries in developing countries.
Internet connectivity in Mozambique is relatively low but growing quickly. According to UNCTAD’s
Information Economy Report 2007–2008, the number of internet users in Mozambique increased from
50,000 in 2002 to 178,000 in 2005; this means that it has more than tripled in three years. The number
of mobile subscribers had also a vertiginous jump from around 255,000 in 2002 to 2.3 million in 2006.
Prospects are that by 2011 Mozambique will be “wired” that is, fully covered through a digital
network.
A number of initiatives are under implementation to put in place an infrastructure enabling the use of
ICT tools and promote their use. 95 Among these initiatives, the Ministry of Science and Technology
(MST) has set up community multimedia centres in various parts of the country, which could be
likened in some cases to a “hole in the wall” that enables easy internet access in rural areas. 96 This
project started in 2004 and is now active in 20 districts throughout the country.
The MST is clearly active in a number of areas that are relevant for the development of the creative
industries and with a few linkages with their existing activities, not only in terms of ICTs but also in
the area of innovation and research at the grass-roots level. In addition, the MST is also involved in the
organization of the new School for the Arts, which the MEC is leading.
The MST noted that, along with the MEC and the MIC, they are part of inter-ministerial working
group on IPRs and its potential for generating revenue. The strategy they are working on also includes
the culture sector. The MST clearly sees the synergies between their work and the development of the
creative industries. 97
Action: Encourage the MST to expand their inter-ministerial cooperation to also cover the
development of the creative industries. It would be advisable to expand this existing inter-ministerial
mechanism with a broader mandate to deal with all cross-cutting issues related to the creative
economy.
94 Reference is made to chapter 7 of UNCTAD/UNDP (2008).
95 Republic of Mozambique, Ministry of Science and Technology (2006)
96 Ministry of Science and Technology, Maputo, 5 September 2008.
97 Ministry of Science and Technology, Maputo, 5 September 2008.