Creative Economy: A Feasible Development Option

10Lessons learned and policy optionslevels, promoting social inclusion in communities particularlyin the most deprived areas. Many NGOs promote greaterinclusiveness and equity, with leading initiatives particularlyon the promotion of youth, women, elderly people andminority groups.10.3.4 Role of international cooperationThis work is an initiative of the UNCTAD-UNDPpartnership and an illustration of how international cooperationby the United Nations system can be used to assist governmentsto better understand the dynamics of the creativeeconomy and to identify areas for possible policymaking.The aim of the Creative Economy Report 2008 was toclarify the basic concepts necessary for a proper understandingof the creative economy, putting forward objectiveevidence, providing some analytical tools and suggestingdirections for policy action. The positive feedback receivedover the last two years motivated us to proceed. In effect, theCreative Economy Report 2008 became a world reference andpaved the way for advancing the policy and research agendasaround the creative economy. This encouraged furtherresearch not only by academics but also by governmentalinstitutions. Many governments started reviewing their policystrategies to place the creative industries among priority sectors.This has been a stimulus to keep the work in progress.As the second in this series, the Creative Economy Report2010 builds upon the main findings and policy proposalsput forward in 2008, which remain valid. In the meantime,however, the world has changed. This served as motivation todeepen the analysis and to introduce new research and morerecent data and information. In fact the challenge of thisreport was to provide further evidence that the creative economyis indeed a feasible development option, and that themost appropriate time to take policy decisions to enhancethe creative economy is now. The analysis was intended toassist governments by providing complementary and pertinentpolicy orientations.In conclusion, in the context of the intergovernmentalpolicy debate held at UNCTAD XII in 2008, governmentsrecognized that work in the area of the creative economyshould be pursued and enhanced. 1 It was felt that UNCTADshould continue to fulfil its mandates and assist governmentson issues related to the development dimension of thecreative economy, in line with the three pillars of UNCTAD’swork: (a) consensus-building, by providing a platform forintergovernmental debates; (b) policy-oriented analysis, byidentifying key issues underlying the creative economy and thedynamics of creative industries in world markets; and (c)technical cooperation, by assisting developing countries toenhance their creative economies for trade and developmentgains. The Creative Economy Report 2010 is a response from thePartnership UNCTAD/UNDP to this mandate.Another possible strategy is to set up a regular HighlevelPanel on Creative Economy, bringing together policymakersand experts from relevant United Nations bodies andinternational institutions in order to advance policy andresearch agendas. Let’s build on this creative momentum.1 See: Outcome of the Secretary-Generals’ high-level panel on the creative economy and industries for development. UNCTAD XII document TD/423, February 2008.264 CREATIVE ECONOMY REPORT 2010