Creative Economy: A Feasible Development Option

Table 4.1 provides a summary comparison of thedefinition of creative/cultural goods in the foregoingfour statistical methodologies in relation to the UNC-TAD methodology. It compares product groups insteadof the most detailed codes, because many methodologiesuse different nomenclatures and translating codes fromone to another is problematic. The differences in thesemethodologies highlight how various approaches tocultural policy have influenced the classification ofcreative/cultural goods.This analysis reveals the intersection and divergence ofthe selected methodologies. As seen in table 4.1, several productgroups are recognized as creative/cultural goods in all ofthe methodologies. These include music products (recordedmedia such as CDs and tapes as well as printed music andmusical instruments), visual arts (antiques, paintings andsculpture), publishing (books, newspapers and periodicals)and audiovisual materials (films and videos). It is fair to suggestthese products form a core set of creative/cultural goods,since they have been approved universally, and should thereforebe included in the framework of trade statistics as thecomparative base.Another set of products was only recognized by somemethodologies. These include art crafts, design and newmedia. They can be said to form an ‘optional’ set of creative/culturalgoods, which provide flexibility as policy makersseek to define the most appropriate statistical frameworkfor their countries.As the most important two classifications for culturalstatistics, the UNESCO and UNCTAD frameworks cover abroader range of product groups than the other methodologiesbecause they aim to provide a universal reference; hencethey include both the ‘core’ and ‘optional’ sets ofcreative/cultural goods. As shown in tables 4.2 and 4.3, theUNESCO 2009 FCS and UNCTAD share a similar philosophyin categorizing creative/cultural goods and relatedgoods and equipments. Although these two frameworksapply different versions of HS codes, they embrace somecommon underlying principles for capturing the exclusivecreative/cultural goods.However, a more detailed comparison of the productcompositions in each classification makes the differencesbetween the UNESCO and UNCTAD frameworks moreapparent. For example, if we separate the ‘core’ set of goods(arts and media products) from the ‘optional’ set (art craft,design and new media products), the ratio of core to optionalgoods in the UNESCO framework is 60/40, while in theUNCTAD classification it is 20/80. According to the datafrom UN CONTRADE database, the ‘core’ set ofcreative/cultural goods is dominated by developedeconomies, but the ‘optional’ set gives developing countriesmore export opportunities. 22 Combining these two observations,it could be argued that the UNESCO classification isbetter at capturing the experience of countries in the globalNorth, while UNCTAD’s better reflects opportunities forcountries in the South.Generally speaking, the UNESCO 2009 FCS providesa general framework and a conceptual list of trade statisticfor cultural goods and services at a universal level. TheUNESCO proposed new classification also sets an agendafor future taxonomic modification and has the potential tofacilitate better measurement of the economic dimension incultural goods and services in the future.Comparatively, the UNCTAD classification emphasizesthe undiscovered creativity of the global South by providingelements to identify potentialities. Therefore, the majority ofproducts in the UNCTAD classification fall into the Designand Art crafts categories. Indeed, it was the Creative EconomyReport 2008 that first presented world trade statistics for thesetwo categories on a universal basis, since these are the categorieswhere developing countries have higher market sharesand greater opportunities in international trade. The UNC-TAD classification is pragmatic in the way it both analyses theevolution of statistical methodology while also reflecting thebalance of trade data currently available.4Towards an evidence-based assessment of the creative economy22 According to the UN COMTRADE database, the exports of arts and media (core sets) goods are dominated by developed economies, which command 80 to 90 per cent of theglobal market. Art crafts, design and new media (optional sets) goods from developing economies capture more than half of the global market. For more detailed analysis, see chart5.4a and 5.4b in chapter 5.CREATIVE ECONOMY REPORT 2010111