The creative economy is one of the world’s fastest-growing sectors and creative industries create employment and income, promote innovation and contribute to societies’ well-being, the United Nations Conference on Trade And Development (UNCTAD) said in its latest Creative Economy Outlook 2022.
Cambodia has also participated in the 2021 UNCTAD survey on the creative economy.
Talking about the potential of creative economy, Rebeca Grynspan, secretary-general of UNCTAD, said: “More data and innovative and multidisciplinary policy responses are needed to enhance the development impacts of the creative sector. This is essential, as the creative economy provides all countries, particularly developing economies, with a feasible option for development.”
The report provides insights into the survey carried out by UNCTAD with member states on the creative economy highlighting institutional arrangements and national plans and strategies for 33 countries.
“The global exports of creative goods represented $524 million in 2020, while world exports of creative services reached $1.1 trillion. In addition, UNCTAD estimates that, in 2020, creative goods and services represented three and 21 per cent of total merchandise and services exports, respectively,” Grynspan said.
The findings show how the creative economy has become a sector of growing social, political, and economic importance. International trade in creative goods and services generates increasing revenues for countries, but creative services exports vastly exceed those of creative goods.
The study said most respondent countries established a specific strategy or national plan to support and develop creative industries at the national level. Among the respondent countries, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Honduras, Latvia, and Trinidad and Tobago were the quickest to recognise the creative economy’s social, economic, and political significance, it said, adding, “They developed national strategies and plans to develop their creative industries from the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s.”
Most respondent countries established a specific strategy or national plan to support and develop creative industries at the national level. Among the respondent countries, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Honduras, Latvia, and Trinidad and Tobago were among the first to elaborate national strategies and plans to develop their creative industries from the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s, it said.
Giving examples of national strategies and plans for the creative economy in Cambodia, the study pointed out that the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts 2019−2023 focuses on increasing the conservation and development of cultural heritage to attract national and international tourists.
The plan focuses on promoting Cambodia to become a centre for performing arts and cultural products, and become a location for foreign film productions; creating employment opportunities in the field of culture; supporting and encouraging new creation in all areas such as music, audio-visual, film, publishing, performing arts, craft, painting, traditional weaving, design, and architecture; organising festivals for exhibitions of new creative works and products of cultural and creative industries.
The plan also seeks to expand the cultural market and products by promoting creativity and innovation in music, film, visual arts, handicrafts, traditional weaving, and design to artists and producers, the report added.
The other countries that participated in the survey include Andorra, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Benin, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Latvia, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates.
“Trade in creative goods and services generate increasing revenues for countries, but creative services exports vastly exceed those of creative goods. The global exports of creative goods increased from $ 419 million in 2010 to $524 million in 2020, while world exports of creative services increased from $487 billion to almost $1.1 trillion during the same period. Creative goods and services exports decoupled in the past few years, driven by a robust increase in the exports of software and research and development services and a so-called “dematerialization” of certain creative goods (due to digitization, some goods are increasingly becoming creative services). Another factor is that the statistical capturing of detailed services sub-categories has significantly improved in recent years,” the report pointed out.
Source: Khmer Times