Creative Economy: A Feasible Development Option

2The development dimensionTurkey: Istanbul, the capital, is especially well known asa rapidly developing metropolis that plays an important role asa bridge between Europe and Asia. Government authorities inTurkey are moving towards enhancing the socio-economicimpact of cultural life while enhancing creative industries notonly in the capital but also throughout the country. This decisionis also motivated by the fact that Istanbul has been selectedto be the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2010. 38 A series ofarts events and cultural festivals have been taking place duringthis special year, and an important symposium, Creative Citiesand Industries in the 21 st Century, is scheduled for November2010. UNCTAD is one of the co-organizers of the event,which will be hosted by the Faculty of Arts and Design atIstanbul University. The symposium will be a stepping stone insetting up an institution to become an International Centre onCreative Cities and Industries in Istanbul.A WIPO study from 2004, Creative Industries in ArabCountries, 39 describes and explains the economic performanceof four key copyright-based industries — book publishing,music sound recording, film production and software — infive Arab States: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco andTunisia. The overall results of the study suggest that copyright-basedindustries in Arab States are substantially underdevelopedand that there remains a great potential that shouldbe systematically mobilized. A more recent global study 40 forecaststhat the market for new digital media in the Middle Eastwill grow at double-digit rates per year over the next five years.The region’s growth is expected to far outstrip the rest of theworld, which is expecting an average expansion rate of 6.6 percent. 41 The demography of the Arab population, with 60 percent of the population below 25 years old, means a stronginterest for new digital media, making it a profitable industryin the future.2.4.4 Latin AmericaThe engagement of Latin American countries in a creativeeconomy agenda varies considerably on account of thesubstantial differences in the supply and export capabilities ofthe creative industries across countries and sectors in theregion. The number of governments in the region that are recognizingthe socio-economic potential of the creative industriesto foster development has increased considerably overthe last couple of years. The widespread dissemination of theUN Creative Economy Report 2008, the implementation of theUNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity and the increasingnumber of conferences and publications prepared bynational and regional institutions such as the Organization ofAmerican States and MERCOSUR have helped deepen thepolicy debate and attract the interest of public opinion andcivil society around the creative economy in Latin America.The analysis of the creative economy in Latin Americais acquiring significance within regional cultural policies andvisibility in economic and social development strategies. Aseries of studies that constitute a basis for the region’s developmentof a creative economy received the encouragement ofinternational and regional organizations such as the ConvenioAndrés Bello, the Organization of American States, theOrganization of Ibero-American States for Education,Science and Culture, as well as UNESCO, UNCTAD andUNDP. The debate around the creative industries is evolvingthroughout the region; the concept and terminology of “culturalindustries” and “cultural economy” prevails in LatinAmerica, although there is better understanding that culturalpolicies are a key element for enhancing the creative economy.Several countries are adapting the UNCTAD classification ofcreative industries and its methodology to shape policy interventions.Countries with higher economic development suchas Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguayand some Central American countries are concentrating moreefforts in this area. Awareness of the socio-economic importanceof the creative economy is gradually spreading in theregion. It is interesting to observe that policies are beingshaped more actively by cities and municipal authoritiesrather than at the federal level.MERCOSUR Cultural, a regional network of some400 individuals and institutions, continues to work onstrengthening cultural information systems in Argentina,38 In June 2007, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality hosted an international conference to discuss strategies for the “cultural cities” and their creative industries (see UNCTAD,Creative Economy and Industries Newsletter, No. 6, September 2007).39 This study by Najib Harabi incorporates five national case studies, giving a comparative account of the performance of the four copyright-based industries in these Arab States.Using the Porter diamond model, the survey was conducted in the years 2002-2003.40 PricewaterhouseCoopers, “Global Entertainment and Media Outlook Report, 2008-2012”.41 MENAFN-Oxford Business Group, “Abu Dhabi: Creating Culture”, 28 March 2009.52 CREATIVE ECONOMY REPORT 2010