Creative Economy: A Feasible Development Option

Another mechanism to promote South-South cooperation isunder way as part of the work of the UNDP Special Unitfor South-South Cooperation, including for business facilitationand the South-South Gate exchanges.Another important multilateral process that greatlycontributed to raising the profile of the creative industries indeveloping countries has been the ratification and implementationof the UNESCO Convention on the Protection andPromotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Theconvention emphasizes the role of the creative industries asa source of economic and cultural empowerment, particularlyin the developing world. In addition there a number ofprocesses at the regional and bilateral level which are takinginto account the creative industries, such as the EconomicPartnership Agreements under negotiation by the EU withdifferent groups of developing countries. All these internationalaspects should be seen in the context of theMillennium Development Goals. The MDGs provide a setof strategic objectives to be met by 2015, and the creativeindustries are well placed to contribute in this endeavour.10.3 The role of key stakeholdersCreativity is found everywhere in the world and is aninexhaustible resource. However, it can be argued that somecountries have been greatly benefiting from the dynamism ofthe creative economy while the great majority of developingcountries are not yet doing so, despite greater awareness andgrowing political interest.A number of questions have been raised but there areno simple answers or a unique recipe. Why are developingcountries net importers of creative goods and services, accumulatingdeficits in their trade balance of creative products?What are the structural factors limiting creative capacities indeveloping countries despite the profusion of creative talent?How can cultural and social objectives be reconciled withinternational trade and technology policies? How can webuild creative capacities and make the best use of internationalcooperation? How can we integrate local creative industriesinto national development strategies and global markets?In order to enhance the creative economy, severalconstraints have to be tackled in an effective and strategicmanner. Governments are encouraged to address nationalbottlenecks and international systemic asymmetries, as a preconditionfor diversifying their creative industries and findingnew opportunities to better place the creative economyfor development. This concluding section is intended toassist not only policymakers but also the decision-makersand the creative people engaged in the day-to-day business ofthe creative economy, to identify areas requiring policy interventionsand concrete private sector initiatives.Initially, a needs assessment should be carried out toidentify priorities taking into account the country’s own economicaspirations, cultural identities, social disparities andtechnological disadvantages. Any strategy should be realisticand feasible; it cannot be based on what is going on elsewhere,but should be achievable on the basis of the country’sown realities, weaknesses and strengths. Strategies for thecreative economy must be updated in order to assimilate thefar-reaching economical, cultural, social and technologicalshifts under way in our society. These are crucial considerationsrequired to put in motion a process to optimize thedevelopmental impact of the creative economy and to foster,protect and promote national creative industries.Each stakeholder has a role to play, and this sectionintends to shed light on possible courses of action, and therole that eventually could be played by the different actors inshaping a feasible, sustainable and more inclusive growthstrategy for the creative economy.10.3.1 Role of governmentsA crucial lesson learned from the financial crisis is thatmarkets alone are unable to correct the imbalances affectingthe functioning of global systems. This also applies for thecreative industries. Distortions in the market structure ofmost creative industries, which in most cases are highly verticallyintegrated, pose problems of distribution and marketaccess for the penetration of products from developingcountries in global markets. Thus, the role of governments isessential for the formulation of national and internationalpolicies to nurture solid creative industries able to competeat the global level. The point is not whether governmentsshould be leading or responding to calls from their creativeindustries, but how they can put in place effective mecha-10Lessons learned and policy optionsCREATIVE ECONOMY REPORT 2010261