Creative Economy Report 2010: Creative Economy: A Feasible Development Option

Institution: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Full reference: UNCTAD (2010) Creative Economy: A Feasible Development Option. Geneva: UNCTAD

Summary

This report presents an updated perspective of the United Nations as a whole on the creative economy and its potential to drive economic growth and promote development. 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 frameworks in which this economy can flourish.

The report offers 10 key messages for governments on policy-making that can enhance their creative economies. Among these is a suggestion that policies for the creative economy have to respond not only to economic needs but also to demands from local communities related to education, cultural identity, social inequalities and environmental concerns.

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