<incom> UNCTAD, Creative Economy Report 2008

[Soenke Zehle]

UN report on the so-called creative economy, a policy paradigm set to
transform and perhaps replace the ICT4D idiom (lots of leapfrogging
going on), who knows; 'multi-agency' always raises questions on whose
conceptual/institutional terrain the whole thing converges, looks like
WIPO took the prize even though UNCTAD gets to publish it. Time to
extend the existing critique(s) of 'creative industries' approaches to
this field, it seems, Soenke

http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/ditc20082cer_en.pdf
http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Page.asp?intItemID=4504&lang=1

The first multi-agency study to present the United Nations system-wide
perspective on this exciting new topic was launched as part of the
Creative Africa initiative at UNCTAD XII.

A new development paradigm is emerging that links the economy and
culture, embracing economic, cultural, technological and social
aspects of development at both the macro and micro levels. Central to
the new paradigm is the fact that creativity, knowledge and access to
information are increasingly recognized as powerful engines driving
economic growth and promoting development in a globalizing world.
  	
The creative economy offers to developing countries a feasible option
and new opportunities to leapfrog into emerging high-growth areas of
the world economy.

The emerging "creative economy" has become a leading component of
economic growth, employment, trade and innovation, and social cohesion
in most advanced economies. Unfortunately, however, the large majority
of developing countries are not yet able to harness their creative
capacity for development.  The creative economy offers to developing
countries a feasible option and new opportunities to leapfrog into
emerging high-growth areas of the world economy.

This is a reflection of weaknesses both in domestic policy and in the
business environment, and global systemic biases. Nevertheless, the
creative economy offers to developing countries a feasible option and
new opportunities to leapfrog into emerging high-growth areas of the
world economy.

The Creative Economy Report is the first to present the perspectives
of the United Nations as a whole on this exciting new topic. It
provides empirical evidence that the creative industries are among the
most dynamic emerging sectors in world trade. It also shows that the
interface among creativity, culture, economics and technology, as
expressed in the ability to create and circulate intellectual capital,
has the potential to generate income, jobs and export earnings while
at the same time contributing to social inclusion, cultural diversity
and human development.

This Report addresses the challenge of assessing the creative economy
with a view to informed policy-making by outlining the conceptual,
institutional and policy framework in which this economy can flourish.