Creative Economy beyond Borders Meetings & Events Date: 4 September 2026 Language: English Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/asset/k10/k10cwvkbkt Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- Indonesia · Ambassador [0:01]: Shall we start? Good afternoon, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen. It is my great pleasure to welcome you this afternoon on this event on Creative Economy Beyond Borders, Leveraging South-South Cooperation for Inclusive and Sustainable Development. Let me begin by expressing Indonesia's Sincere appreciation to Mozambique, Cambodia, Namibia, UN DESA and UN Office for South-South Cooperation for co-hosting this event, as well as to our panelists from UNCTAD and WIPO. With only a few years remaining until 2030, progress towards the SDGs remains uneven. At the same time, rapid technological change is transforming how we create, produce, exchange and value ideas. Against this backdrop, allow me to highlight three key messages. First, the creative economy is no longer a peripheral sector. It is an increasingly important driver of economic diversification, innovation, employment, and social inclusion. For many developing countries, it also provides opportunities for women, youth, local communities, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to participate more meaningfully in economic development. This potential was recognized through General Assembly Resolution 78/133 on promoting creative economy for sustainable development, initiated by Indonesia and adopted by consensus. And this year, Indonesia will reintroduce the resolution with updates that reflect the current stage of creative economy development. At the same time, creative potential does not automatically translate into sustainable livelihood. Across developing countries, many creators and creative enterprises continue to face limited access to finance, technology, skills and markets. They also need greater capacity to identify, protect, value, manage, and commercialize their intellectual property-based assets. Second, it is precisely where South-South cooperation can make a difference. Developing countries do not always need to start from zero. Many solutions already exist among us. Through South-South cooperation, we can exchange policies that work, technologies that can be adapted, institutional models that can be replicated, and practical experiences that help creators and enterprises move from ideas to opportunities and from creative assets to sustainable livelihood. Third, we must turn recognition into practical action. This requires stronger policies and institutions, investment in creative skills and digital infrastructure, improved access to financing and markets, and effective intellectual property systems that ensure creators receive fair economic value from their work. It also requires stronger partnerships among member states, UN entities, and other relevant stakeholders. Today's conversation can contribute to this effort, and the timing is particularly relevant. Next week, we will commemorate the UN Day for South-South Cooperation on September 12. And on October 21st to 23rd, Indonesia will host the fifth World Conference on Creative Economy in Jakarta. Looking further ahead, we should also begin asking a broader question. What role can creative economy play in the global development agenda beyond 2030? I therefore invite all panelists and participants to engage in an open and practical exchanges. Let us use this occasion not only to celebrate creativity but also to consider how it can generate opportunity, strengthen inclusion, and advance sustainable development across the global south. I wish you a productive discussion. I thank you. I think next I would give the floor to Dilma, who will moderate the... Yeah, but the moderator will be Dilma. UNOSSC · Director [5:55]: Excellency, thank you very much. It's a pleasure to join the permanent mission today of Indonesia, but also the partnerships of Cambodia, Mozambique, and Namibia on this timely discussion. I think the next speaker is our colleague from UN DESA, ASG, Mrs. Bjork, Sancher, please have the floor. UNDESA · ASG [6:22]: Thank you, moderator. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the government of Indonesia and your Excellency, the Ambassador here with us this afternoon and the other co-organizers that are represented here on the panel for convening this important conversation on the creative economy and South-South cooperation. As we've heard already, the timing could not be more relevant. We are approaching 2030. We have recently released in DESA the stock taking report on how we are doing on the Sustainable Development Goals. I'm sure many of you have seen that. We've seen that we are making progress, but we are not making the progress that the global community hoped that we would be making when we adopted this joint action plan back in 2015. And as we are thinking about how to accelerate progress towards 2030, but also begin that thinking about looking beyond 2030, and we ask ourselves what new drivers, what new partnerships, what new approaches can help us to build more inclusive, more sustainable and more resilient societies. I really think that the creative economy is a big part of the answer to that search. As one of the fastest growing sectors globally, encompassing economic activities based on creativity, on cultural knowledge, intellectual property and artistic expression, it reminds us that one of the most important resources available to every society is the creativity of its people. Having generated more than 50 million jobs worldwide, The creative economy offers significant opportunities for employment, for innovation, entrepreneurship, cultural diversity and sustainable development. The creative economy also holds tremendous potential for groups that are too often left behind, including women, young people, persons with disabilities, older persons, indigenous peoples and others. So we cannot miss this opportunity. to position arts and creativity as practical tools for advancing the principle of leaving no one behind. This perspective is particularly important for those communities that are always last to receive adequate recognition or protection. Together, we can change that narrative. For example, young people with disabilities may benefit from an accessible digital animation program through which they could acquire marketable skills and work remotely for clients and creative enterprises. Older persons may receive social and emotional support by contributing to a digital heritage project featuring podcasts, short films, or digital exhibitions. Indigenous artisans may work with designers and digital platforms to market authentic products directly to consumers with mechanisms to protect traditional designs and ensure that a fair share of the economic benefits returns to the community. So those were just a few examples to show you, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, about the potential that lies in the creative economy. So I would like to commend Indonesia for leading the effort towards the adoption by the General Assembly of Resolution 78/133 on promoting creative economy for sustainable development. From Africa to Southeast Asia to Latin America, governments are increasingly recognizing the contribution of arts, culture, and creative industries to economic diversification, innovation, and sustainable development. And I believe this is where South-South cooperation has a particularly important role to play. Because while developing countries face many common challenges, including unequal access to technology and finance and skills shortages, at the same time, countries of the Global South are generating innovative policies, institutions and practical solutions. So it's critical to engage in South-South cooperation with a view to bring these experiences together, to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise, and to support capacity building, peer learning, and policy innovation. And I am very grateful for the leadership exemplified by UN partners, for example, UNESCO, UNCTAD, ILO, WIPO, UNDP, and others. And let me also just acknowledge the cross-region representation at this event with the participation of Indonesia, Cambodia, Namibia, Mozambique, all parts of the latest development account project, which UNDESA is implementing and which focuses on accelerating social inclusion through the creative economy in those countries. And that project has a simple but important proposition. The creative and digital economy can be a powerful driver of inclusion, but only if the right policies, institutions and support systems are in place. On the part of UNDESA, we encourage stronger partnerships among Member States, among colleagues within the United Nations system, with the private sector, with civil society, with creative champions and communities. because by combining the dynamism of the creative economy with the solidarity and practical exchange of South-South cooperation, we can create new pathways for inclusive and sustainable development. Ladies and gentlemen, in the coming days, as we commemorate the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation and in October, As the fifth world conference on the creative economy gets underway in Jakarta, we can seize the opportunity to pursue this conversation further. Thank you. UNOSSC · Director [12:57]: Thank you very much, ASG Sanjaya for this insightful remarks. And moving forward with the agenda, allow me, excellencies and distinguished colleagues, to share a few notes from my side. Again, thanking the missions of Indonesia, Cambodia, Mozambique, and Namibia, but also thanking the different UN entities, UN DESA, UNCTAD, WIPO, and all our panelists who will be speaking today for bringing policy, country, and institutional perspective to the same table. We are all meeting, as also previously mentioned, at the moment where the international community is confronting a difficult developmental landscape, uneven progress on the sustainable development goals, persistent financing gaps, economic fragmentation, climate pressure, and rapid technological change. And in that context, the creative economy asks us to look again at what we consider to be a development asset. A country's assets are not limited to natural resources, infrastructure, or financial capital. They also include ideas, talent, cultural expression, knowledge, design, and intellectual property. And when the right policies and institutions are in place, these assets can support economic diversification, create jobs, strengthen local enterprises, accelerate digital transformation, and reinforce social inclusion and identity. The global scale of this economy is already substantial. Creative services exports reached approximately $1.4 trillion in 2022, while creative goods exports reached more than $700 billion. Yet, participation and value remain highly concentrated. Many developing countries, creators, and creative enterprises continue to face limited access to finance, technology, skills, markets, and intellectual property systems. And this is where South-South cooperation can make a distinctive contributions. Countries across the South are designing creative economy strategies, building creative hubs, supporting cultural and digital entrepreneurship, strengthening intellectual property management, developing new financing approaches, and opening regional markets. The task is to connect these experiences, understand what has worked and adapt them to different national and local contexts. We at the UN Office for South-South Cooperation, we also try to exemplify this through the different pilots and projects that we implement via the trust funds that we manage and that are, we think, supported with the contributions of many southern countries, including India, Brazil, China, South Africa, Portugal, Federation, Korea, among others. And through these collaborations that we have, we can demonstrate how this cooperation can move from knowledge exchange to practical delivery. Let me also note, for example, that with the India UN Development Partnership Fund, it has supported 95 projects in 65 countries with over 76 million that has been allocated. While with the IBSA Fund, and it's also good to note that it will be celebrating its 20 years of action, it has supported 53 projects across 43 countries with allocations of 57 million. Also, a historic partnership with China has enabled many work on the ground for more than 25 years, with over 30 million being invested. So together, They do show how Southern solidarity and country-led ideas can be translated into concrete development results. Excellencies, today's event is especially timely because it can serve as a bridge from New York to Jakarta. The fifth World Conference on Creative Economy will take place in Jakarta from 21st to 23rd of October under the theme, inclusively creative, collective continuity. It's expected Jakarta vision offers an opportunity to shape a forward-looking agenda for the creative economy, including its place in the global development framework beyond 2030. And for us at UN, also see this conversation is fundamentally about connection and connecting demand with knowledge, creative assets with opportunity and policy ambition with partners capable of delivery. His Excellency mentioned the UN day on South-South cooperation, where we intend to launch what we call the Global Alliance for South-South and Triangle Cooperation as a multi-stakeholder platform where innovation, among many other things, can definitely be shared, scaled, and financed. I look forward to a candid and action-oriented exchange today with the eminent panelists. And it's an opportunity, of course, to learn about the policies or institutional solutions that have worked, what can be shared or adapted through South-South cooperation, and what should the Jakarta Vision prioritize, and what partnerships could move from discussions to implementations over the next year. Thank you. And our panel today brings together national experience from Asia and Africa with the global trade and intellectual property perspectives of UNCTAD and WIPO. The panelists have received already questions in advance, so I'll invite each speaker to intervene in approximately five minutes, drawing on those questions. first speaker with us is Mrs. Chheng Kettya Chey, Deputy Director General of the General Department of Techniques for Culture, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in Cambodia. And we want to know that drawing on Cambodia's experience, how can countries harness their cultural and creative assets to generate jobs, livelihoods, and economic opportunities while ensuring that the benefits of the creative economy reach the local communities and the creators? And in your opinion, what role has South-South cooperation played in Cambodia's efforts to build its creative economy, ecosystem, and what lessons could be shared with the other countries. Over. We don't have a speaker. Cambodia · Deputy Director-General [19:35]: All right. Can you hear me? UNOSSC · Director [19:41]: Yes, we can hear you. Cambodia · Deputy Director-General [19:42]: Thank you very much. Yes, Excellency, distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor for me to address this distinguished gatherings on behalf of the Kingdom of Cambodia. We meet at a pivotal moment when the global economy demands innovative, resilient, and inclusive drivers of growth. In this pursuit, the cultural and creative industry amplified through the frameworks of South-South cooperation offers an extraordinary pathway forward for developing nations. For Cambodia, culture is far more than a reflection of a historic past. It is an active, dynamic force for job creation, social cohesion, and economic diversification. From our ancient heritage to our rapidly growing contemporary music, films, designs, and digital media sectors, our creative spirit is one of our greatest national assets. Under the Royal Government of Cambodia, the Pentagon Strategy Phase 1, human capital developments, and economic diversification stand as the core pillars for our visions for 2030 and 2050. We recognize that the thriving economy, creative economy depends on the talents, securities, and the enterprise of our peoples. By centering our efforts on artists, artisan, women, and our dynamic youth, we ensure that cultural heritage translates directly into sustainable livelihood across both urban centers and rural communities. To turn these visions into practice, Cambodia is taking concrete steps to strengthen our creative ecosystem through key actions area. First, national policy and institutional support. We are actively advancing our national policies on cultural and creative industry, developed in partnership with UNESCO's International Fund for Cultural Diversity. This framework is designed to eliminate structural hurdles, bridge data gaps, and improve inter-institutional coordination across government, private, and civil society sectors. Second, dedicated infrastructures and creative hubs. to move beyond policy document via piloting Cambodia's first creative industry support hub at the Royal University of Fine Art in Cambodia. The center provide creator with studio, co-working spaces, and a dedicated advisory services in business registration, intellectual property, taxation, and financials management, et cetera. Third, empowering creators and communities. Technical skill, business acumen, and IP protections are essential for sustainable growth. We are expanding entrepreneurial trainings and supporting cultural creative SME so that our local creators, particularly young innovators, can formalize and grow their business, access finance, and market, protects the intellectual asset, and transform artistic passion into commercially viable and sustainable enterprises. Fourth, leveraging digital transformation. The digital shift offer unprecedented opportunity to democratize market access, strengthening digital infrastructures, and e-commerce platform, enables local creator to bypass traditional barriers and connect directly to regionals and global audiences. Fifth, sustainable cultural tourism. We are linking creative industry directly with sustainable tourism, encouraging visitor to engage with authentic local craft, like living arts and culinary tradition, generate direct economic return from local community while safeguarding our intangible heritage. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, while our journey to strengthen the cultural and creative industries in Cambodia takes time, our commitment remains absolute. We recognize that these goals cannot be fully realized in isolation. This is why Cambodia remains fully open to the international cooperation, and we actively propose meetings and engaging with our international partner more frequently. In particular, a critical area where we must urgently deepen our cooperation is reinforcing IP governance in the age of artificial intelligence. To effectively tackle the challenges posed by the emerging technologies, the global community must share common principles, frameworks, and legal standards. Without a unified approach to AI and intellectual property, we will face profound structural vulnerability in the near future. Continuous, deliberate cooperation is not optional. It is a necessity. The developing nation across the global South share rich cultural ecosystem alongside common challenges from market access to rapid digital disruption. Through South-South partnerships, joint policy frameworks, and co-productions, we elevate our collective voice to share fairer global trade road. As the timeless Western reminder If we want to go fast, go alone. But if we want to go far, we go together. Cambodia is stand ready to share our experiences, learn from our partner across the global South and collaborate with all member states to place culture and creativities at the center of sustainable developments. and thank you very much. UNOSSC · Director [26:47]: Thank you very much, Mrs. Chey, for showcasing the undertakings of Cambodia and the sector. Let me turn to Mrs. Olya Kloridjani, the Acting Director of Marketing Systems Development and Institutional Relations at the Ministry of Creative Economy in Indonesia. You have the floor. Indonesia · Director of Marketing System and Institutional Relationship Development [27:14]: Thank you, Madam Director. This is Dani Rahdiansyah from Indonesia, the Director of the Marketing System and the Institutional Relationship Development from Indonesia. Your Excellency, Ambassador Umar Hadi, ASG Santhir, Director Hatib, Excellencies, distinguished participants, it's a pleasure for me to join this meeting to share our experience in advancing the creative economy and more importantly, what we have learned about making creative economy as the new engine of growth as well as driver of inclusive, competitive and sustainable development. Moving to the first question, getting questions, as initiator and host of the fifth World Conference on Creative Economy, Indonesia would like to share three key policy insights for fostering inclusive, competitive and sustainable creative ecosystem. First, comprehensive legal frameworks and long-term master plan. We have the Indonesia's Creative Economy Master Plan 2026 to 2045, replacing the previous one for 2018-2025, which provides stable, supportive environment for creative economy stakeholders to thrive. This is a strategy mirrored by countries of the previous hosts of the WCCE. Second, beyond policy formulation, alignment across all levels of central and local government, academia, business community, media, and financial institutions, or what we call the hexahelix approach, are required to accelerate the growth of creative economy. Third, recognizing that every region possesses unique creative strength, initiatives like Creative Cities from UNESCO and Indonesia's Creative Villages connect local sub-sectors, drive regional economic growth, and ensure inclusive development from local to global levels. Moving forward to the second cluster, While the international community has already recognized the contribution of the creative economy to sustainable development, Indonesia calls upon global partners to prioritize three strategic pillars. First, AI and emerging technologies should strengthen creativity rather than diminish it. At the same time, developing countries need greater access to technology digital infrastructure and digital sovereignty. Second, intellectual property and the rights of creative workers. Strengthening global IP frameworks is essential for creators. We must foster fair and transparent mechanism that enable creators to commercialize and protect their intellectual assets. Third, sustainability and inclusivity. We need to look beyond GDP and employment. A comprehensive approach must integrate environmental, cultural preservation, and social inclusion, ensuring that women, youth, and underrepresented communities are recognized as active policy partners. These priorities are particularly important for the Global South, where creative potential is enormous. but access to technology, finance, IP system, and global markets remains uneven. This is where we believe the creative economy can make a meaningful contribution to shaping the post-2030 global development agenda. Last one, through the South-South cooperation, Indonesia actively translate dialogue into action. In partnership with the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, Indonesia conducted capacity building workshops in the field of creative economy for the OACPS member states from 2024 to 2025, facilitating strategic dialogue and technical exchange to empower creative ecosystems across member states. Furthermore, in partnership with UNDESA since 2024, we have been collaborating to conduct programs in advancing social inclusion in the creative economy, ensuring equitable access regardless of gender, disability, or age. Building upon this cooperation, Indonesia continue to deepen cooperation with partners such as Mozambique and Cambodia within the framework of South-South cooperation. Lastly, regionally, Indonesia has constantly Consistently spearheaded capacity building program and business forum in creative economy with the Association of Southeast Asian Nation or ASEAN. As a key supporter of ASEAN creative economy sustainability framework, Indonesia remains dedicated to steering regional policy towards sustainable, resilient, and inclusive economic growth. I thank you very much and back to you, Director Dima. UNOSSC · Director [32:49]: Thank you very much, Mr. Radiantia, for highlighting the different pillars of Indonesia's interventions in the sector, the priorities, but also the South-South cooperation efforts and elements and the exchanges among countries. Our next speaker is His Excellency, Mr. Domingos Estevo Fernandes, the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Mozambique to the United Nations. Welcome, Excellency. So from Mozambique's perspective, what opportunities does the creative economy offer for economic diversification, employment, youth participation, and the promotion of cultural assets in developing countries? And what areas of South-South cooperation would be most valuable for countries such as Mozambique, including through stronger Africa-Asia partnership, and what practical experiences or capacities could developing countries exchange with one another? It's a loaded two questions for you, Excellency. Mozambique · Permanent Representative [33:58]: Well, thank you very much, Madam Moderator. Well, allow me to first warmly thank the permanent mission of Indonesia for inviting Mozambique to this timely and important side event, which brings together three closely interconnected dimensions. First, the creative economy. Second, sustainable development. And lastly, the international cooperation. I also wish to extend my warm greetings to our dear colleagues from Cambodia, Namibia, and also yourself from UNOSS. and other co-organizers that are part of this initiative. Well, Mozambique recognized the strategic importance of the cultural and creative industry as a key economic driver for sustainable development, one that can diversify our economy, create decent employment for our young people and unlock the value of our cultural assets. So this is substantial potential, is substantial and must be harnessed strategically. Mozambique itself is a culturally diverse country, endowed with the considerable artistic and creative talent from music, dance, literature, and poetry to visual arts, crafts, fashion, cinema, gastronomy, and other forms of cultural expression. Creativity is an important part of our social fabric and increasingly represents an economic opportunity for us in Mozambique. So, transforming these assets into sustainable livelihoods requires three things or areas. First, institutional framework. Second, access to finance and markets. And lastly, South-South partnership that actually works. Now, on institutional framework. we have established the National Institute for Cultural and Creative Industries to coordinate the sector. We are mapping and registering creative professionals and enterprises. We have launched flagship initiatives. We incubated Made in Mozambique, which is the creative economy and industry fair to give creators and MSMEs visibility and access. Mozambique has been strengthening the institutional and policy framework for the cultural and creative sector with the objective of positioning it more firmly as a contributor to economic and social development. We also see an important role for the UN system regional and international partners in supporting developing countries to strengthen data and statistical systems. Facilitate technical assistance and access to finance and create an enabling environment in which creative entrepreneurs, artists and cultural professionals can thrive. On access to finance and markets. National efforts alone do not suffice. Creative entrepreneurs cannot compete without venture capital instruments, market entry pathways, and intellectual properties frameworks that work for them. We believe that this is where South-South cooperation becomes essential to address the structural challenges facing the creative economy. So we need stronger international cooperation. So it is essential. On South-South partnership, countries of Global South have accumulated valuable experiences, innovative practices and context-specific solution that can be shared and adapted to strengthen creative ecosystems and national capacities. South-South cooperation can facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise, strengthen institutional and entrepreneurial capacities, promote technology transfer, expand access to markets and finance, and foster partnership among creative professional enterprises and institutions. So, we need peer-to-peer exchange with countries like Indonesia, Cambodia, Namibia, on what actually works. How these countries have grown their audiovisual and digital creative sectors. How they have structured incentives for creative MSMEs, how they have built export markets. So all this is very important. So we need practical know-how on technology transfer, digital transformation for creative enterprise and the legal frameworks that protect artists whilst enabling commercialization. We need South-South finance instruments such as blended finance, risk sharing facilities that treat creative entrepreneurs as viable investment prospects. Therefore, Africa possesses enormous creative potential such as music, film, fashion, digital content. Asia and Africa together represent a market and talent pool of billions. There is a scope for South-South cooperation to build the intraregional creative ecosystem where African and Asian creators, producers and distributors work together, invest in one another. In this regard, Mozambique attaches particular importance to South-South and triangular cooperation. In conclusion, Mozambique stands ready to work with all partners Indonesia, Cambodia, UN, OSSC, UNCTAD, WIPO to translate the 5th World Conference on Creative Economy into concrete cooperation. But that cooperation must be rooted in the principle that developing countries, creative assets belong to developing countries, entrepreneurs and communities, and that the international system should support. I thank you, Madam Moderator. UNOSSC · Director [41:53]: Thank you, Excellency, for highlighting the experience of Mozambique, the efforts, the institutional efforts, but also the shout out for collaboration and support, including on South-South cooperation front and the financial aspects. Let me move to Namibia. We do have with us Mrs. Makariko Amagulu, Director of Arts, Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports and Arts, Arts and Culture. And to speak to us, how can Namibia harness its creative and cultural assets to generate more inclusive economic opportunities, particularly for youth, women, local communities and other groups that may or may have limited access to the digital economy. But also, how can South-South cooperation, particularly between Africa and Asia, help developing countries build more inclusive and competitive creative economy ecosystems? The floor is yours. Namibia · Director of Arts [43:27]: I'm sorry, but we can hear me. UNOSSC · Director [43:28]: Yes, now we can hear you. Yes, go ahead, please. Namibia · Director of Arts [43:33]: Can you hear me? UNOSSC · Director [43:35]: Yes. Namibia · Director of Arts [43:38]: Hello. UNOSSC · Director [43:39]: Yes, we can hear you. Namibia · Director of Arts [43:49]: I said, you know, oh, you okay. Okay. I was worried about that. Yeah. So I was saying, good evening, moderator, ladies. Ladies and gentlemen, can you hear me? Okay, thank you for this opportunity to represent the Republic of Namibia. From Namibia's perspective, I think the creative industries are particularly important because they give us an opportunity to build on something that we already have. We have incredibly rich cultures, diverse heritage, talented people, powerful stories, and a young population with enormous creative potential. The question for us is really, How do we turn those assets into meaningful and sustainable? UNOSSC · Director [45:23]: She lost connection. Hopefully she'll reconnect. Okay. All right. Can you hear me? Okay. I can hear you now. Can you try to talk again, please? Namibia · Director of Arts [45:42]: Yeah, yeah. Okay. So thank you for this opportunity to represent the Republic of Namibia. From Namibia's perspective, I think the creative industry is particularly important. because they give us an opportunity to build on something that we already have, which is really our rich cultures, diverse heritage, talented people, powerful stories, and a young population, almost creative potential. The question for us is really how do we turn those assets into meaningful and sustainable economic opportunities particularly for young people, women, local communities, and others who may not always have access to the mainstream economy. This is something we are looking at quite deliberately in Namibia. Our sixth national development plan, NDP6, recognizes the importance of economic diversification and create opportunities in new and emerging sectors. For us, the creative industries are part of that conversation. We see them not only as a cultural sector, but increasingly as a sector that can contribute to employment, entrepreneurship, innovation, inclusive economic growth. At the same time, we are implementing our Namibia Arts, Culture and Heritage Policy 2025 to 2030. and developing a creative and culture. UNOSSC · Director [47:44]: Sorry, Namibia, we can't hear you any longer. You might want to reconnect. Namibia · Director of Arts [47:51]: One of the important things for us is making sure that creative opportunities are not concentrated only in the capital city or a few urban centers. UNOSSC · Director [48:08]: Okay, she appears to have lost connection. She'll probably reconnect, Chair, sorry. Yeah, all right. I mean, given the technical challenges with the connectivity, we will move again to the intervention of Mrs. Amagulu once she is connected clearly. And I would say maybe her intervention can be also shared just in case we did not get to hear her again. Let me move to our next speaker, Mr. Juan Jose Martinez Badillo, the Chief of UNCTAD Office here in New York, to speak to us, how can the creative economy contribute to economic diversification? productive capacities and greater participation of developing countries in international trade? And what are the principal structural constraints that continue to limit this potential? And also looking beyond 2030, what policy priorities should be reflected in the international development agenda to better harness the creative economy as a driver of structural transformation, trade and sustainable development in developing countries? The floor is yours. UNCTAD · Chief, New York Office [49:31]: I have a prepared statement, but a number of the points really on the potential of the creative economy and on the kind of interlinkages have been made, so I will perhaps focus more on the numbers that I wanted to leave with you and a couple of the ideas. I mean, it's clear that we all agree that creative economy is a powerful driver of economic diversification, and we all agree clearly on the clear links, the important links to South-South cooperation. Ambassador Hadi actually spoke about creative economy no longer being a peripheral sector. And in preparing the statement, we're looking at the progression of the creative economy working on that in our first paper sometime in the early 2000s was about the potential of music, Caribbean music, for generating new industries in the Caribbean, in particular looking at Cuba, Trinidad, Jamaica, and a couple of other countries. When this program actually was launched, the focus was more on fashion. So we had in Accra in 2008, Arontat 12, and in Nairobi in 2016, fashion shows. That seemed to be the big next frontier of the creative economy. When we look at it today and when we look at the numbers that we have in our latest report, Software, computer games, electronic publishing is about 40% of all the exports. So really this industry not only has been growing, but what this industry is about has also been growing very heavily. So the scale of the opportunities is very large. Creative goods, the exports of creative goods have remained relatively unchanged at about 700 billion, but creative services have reached a record 1.7 trillion. in 2024, which is the latest, you know, more verified numbers that we have, and that means a growth of 12% year on year. I think when we have the newest numbers, maybe of last year or this year, the really confirmed methodological numbers, then we will probably see a larger growth on that with the digital economy. Depending on the country, this is somewhere between 1% and 7% of GDP, and globally, it can be as high as 12.5% of the workforce in many countries. So in response to the guiding question, we spoke, everybody mentioned, in a sense, the the capacity or the need to generate the value from the talent, cultural, intellectual assets of the country. So we spoke about design or the visual services, fashion, digital media. One important element that we like to highlight is the capacity of creative industry to also strengthen capacities through the linkages that are generating by developing these new industries. SMEs are the center of creative economy. Really, the backbone of this is SMEs. So this provides important opportunity for self-employment, for innovation, and for business development. Creative industries are also a source of employment for young people and for first-time entrepreneurs more than other industries. So that helps develop skills, institution, technology transfer, and access to digital tools, which are all synergistic with the development of this industry. Of course, there is a theme within this event of South-South. And South-South merchandise exports, which is the other side of this discussion, have grown from about 0.4, half a trillion to 6.5 trillion between 1995 and 2025. So this is a magnitude of several times. And today, 57% of developing country exports go to other developing countries, up from 38% in 1995. So this demonstrates the importance, the growing importance of developing country markets to other developing countries. But as it was said before, the potential remains unevenly realized. Creative assets are widely distributed, but market access and value capture is uneven. The principal constraints, and some of them were mentioned, are weak policy and institutional frameworks, limited financing, digital divides, skill gaps, and challenges in commercializing and monetizing the creative and intellectual assets. Of course, looking at the numbers of digital, the participation of the digital industry within creative economies, we have to think of the number of people that are connected and that are not connected online, and how that is divided between developing and developed countries. In 2025, the latest number from ITU show that 74% of the world's population was online compared to 71% a year before. But that still means that over 2 billion people are offline. At the same time, the ITU also estimated that 59% of workers will require reskilling or upskilling by 2030 because of technological change. artificial intelligence adoption and transformation in general. So that means it's not only about getting people online, but getting people ready to live in the reality of an economy that is changing. Therefore, going to your second question on our response, South-South cooperation, of course, has to be a backbone of the action that developing countries can take. It can allow to pull markets, data, finance, skills, and bargaining power. Countries need to move from exchanging experiences to delivering and measuring joint initiatives and really working together. From our experience, we always like to say that the most important element of South-South cooperation is the lived experience, really. Because when countries of the South, when developing countries exchange policies, technology, and institutional lessons directly, less is lost in translation than when you have to really translate this experience from a developed country to a developing country. There's a number of initiatives that are already ongoing. And of course, we know that triangular cooperation can allow to bring developing partners, international organizations, and donor countries to scale up what already works. So a number of priorities that we think need attention, measurement frameworks need to harmonize data collection, regional financing mechanism to mobilize finance for MSMEs and for entrepreneur, Creative trade corridors that facilitate cross-border trade, market access, and mobility of professionals. Interoperable digital platforms. Intellectual property cooperation. I think I'm getting ahead of myself with my colleague from WIPO. We'll talk about probably. And peer learning and knowledge between countries of the South. Inclusion and sustainability are central to ensuring that the impact of the development of the creative industry brings development impact. Women-led businesses need to benefit from finance, and skill developments as a priority. Youth entrepreneurs that I mentioned before, rural communities should get better connectivity and market access, and marginalized population should have access to training and employment opportunities. These are some of the priorities. It sounds like it took maybe a minute or two to read through that list, but those are very big asks. And of course, in so doing, we will not forget to mainstream sustainable production and consumption consideration to favor reducing the environmental footprint of these new industries. From UNCTAD's perspective, we are ready to support member states through research, such as our upcoming creative economy outlook, technical assistance, including products such as the creative economy mapping that we recently did with Angola, and now being adapted to other countries, South-South cooperation together with our colleagues from UN Office for South-South Cooperation. We are happy to continue supporting particularly the champions of this process, of this agenda, like Indonesia, like Uzbekistan in the past, and of course, in this upcoming cycle committee season, as the substantive secretariat of the Creative Economy Resolution. Thank you. UNOSSC · Director [57:31]: Thank you very much, Juan Jose, for highlighting the new industries also, the focus on use, very important, especially for the countries of the South. but also some of those important aspects that we would need to take into account as we move forward with that. With the challenges of listening to our colleague from Namibia, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the mission would like to deliver the intervention and highlight the answers to those questions that we have raised. The floor is yours, Excellency, Mr. Nifiti Tikakau. Am I right? Namibia · Deputy Permanent Representative [58:14]: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Excellency Ambassador Hadi, Madame Bjork, Santhiay, good afternoon. And of course, our moderator, Madame Dima, director, excellencies here at the table, Ambassador of Mozambique, distinguished colleagues, ladies and gentlemen. I have the honor to deliver the remarks that have been prepared by Director for Arts, Ms. Mkariko Amahulu. And just to go straight to the issue at hand is that from Namibia's perspective, the creative industries, of course, are particularly important because they give us an opportunity to build on something that we already have, indeed, with rich cultures, diverse heritage, talented people, powerful stories, and a young population that has enormous creative potential. The question for us is really, how do we turn those assets into meaningful and sustainable economic opportunities, particularly for our young people, women, local communities, and others who may not always have access to the mainstream economy. So this is something we're looking at quite deliberately. And in our sixth National Development Plan, which is called NDP6, this plan recognizes the importance of economic diversification and creating opportunities in new and emerging sectors. For us, the creative industries are part of that conversation. We see them not only as cultural sectors, cultural sector, but increasingly as a sector that can contribute to employment, entrepreneurship, and innovation in addition to inclusive economic growth. At the same time, we are implementing our Namibia Arts and Culture Heritage Policy and developing a creative and cultural industry strategy So this is something that we are busy with at the moment. And one of the important things for us is making sure that creative opportunities are not concentrated only in the capital city because of urbanization. Namibia is geographically a very large country, and many communities live far from major markets and economic centers. So access is a real issue. A talented young musician, filmmaker, designer, or craft producer in a rural community may have the talent, but not necessarily the connectivity, equipment, and the financing that was highlighted earlier by the distinguished ambassador, His Excellency, Ambassador of Mozambique, as well as training and market access that he also highlighted. So these are needed to ensure that the talent becomes a sustainable livelihood. So that is why we are looking at initiatives such as creative hubs and other infrastructure across the country, while also supporting local content development and strengthening opportunities across different creative sectors. I think we also have to be honest. Infrastructure alone is not enough. Many of our creators are producing incredible work, but the real challenge is often what happens after the work has been created, how do they reach markets, how do they protect their intellectual property, which is something that was also highlighted earlier by the distinguished Deputy Director or Director from Indonesia. How do they price their work, negotiate contracts, and ultimately earn sustainable income from their creativity? So for us, an important focus is building the entire value chain around creativity. We need to support creators, not only to create, but also to identify, protect, manage, commercialize, and monetize the intellectual and creative assets. And this becomes even more important in a digital environment. We are increasingly grappling with the issue of monetization in the online economy. Being online does not automatically mean earning an income. Creators can put their work online and reach audiences, but they still face challenges in converting views, streams, followers, and engagement into sustainable income. There are questions around payment systems, access to monetization, programs, platform requirements, and revenue sharing models. So the conversation cannot only be about getting our creators online. We also have to ask, once they're online, how do they actually generate and retain value from their work. This is particularly important because creative content can travel across borders very quickly, but the income generated from that content does not always return to the creator or the country where that content originated from. We therefore need to strengthen the capacity of our creators around digital business models, licensing, rights management, and online monetization, while also looking at how developing countries can have a stronger voice in shaping a more equitable global digital economy. At the same time, we should not assume that digitalization automatically means inclusion. Not everyone has reliable connectivity, access to devices, or the digital skills needed to participate fully in the online economy. So we need a balanced approach. We have to prepare our creators for the digital economy, But we also need to continue creating opportunities through physical spaces, community programs, local markets, and regional initiatives. We have to meet people where they are. And this brings me to the second question around South-South cooperation. I think it is important to recognize that South-South cooperation is broader than Africa-Asia cooperation. For Namibia, it means strengthening cooperation with our fellow African countries as well. There is already valuable experience within Africa in areas such as music, film, fashion, digital content, creative entrepreneurship, intellectual property, and creative hubs. We can learn from one another, both from what has worked and from what has not. There is a major opportunity to strengthen regional and continental markets. Our creative industries may be relatively small at national level, But when we connect our markets across Africa, the opportunities become much greater. Then, of course, there is the Asia-Africa dimension. Asian countries have developed interesting approaches to creative entrepreneurship, digital platforms, technology, intellectual property, and cultural exports, while Africa has enormous cultural assets, creative talent, and a young population. But I don't see this as simply Africa learning from Asia. It should be a two-way exchange. And I think we should extend that exchange to Latin America and the Caribbean. There is valuable experience there in music, film, cultural industries, creative entrepreneurship, cultural tourism, and the commercialization of cultural assets. Many across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean face similar challenges but have developed different approaches and solutions. That creates enormous opportunities for us to learn from one another. The key is that we need to move beyond conferences and declarations towards practical cooperation. That could mean partnerships beyond creative hubs and institutions, exchanges for creative entrepreneurs, joint training programs, technology transfer cooperation on intellectual property, new financing models, and importantly, better access to each other's markets. We should also cooperate on some of the challenges of the digital economy, particularly digital distribution, cross-border payments, intellectual property management, and the monetization of creative content. We need to ensure that our creators are not simply consumers or content providers on global platforms, but they are able to participate meaningfully and capture a fair share of the value they create. And I think this is where South-South cooperation can be practically or particularly powerful. We don't always have to start from scratch. There are countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and the Caribbean, and across the wider global South that are already developing solutions to challenges we are facing. The opportunities to learn from those experiences, adapt them to our own realities, and build practical partnerships. So for Namibia, the objective is to build creative ecosystems that are locally rooted, inclusive, and sustainable, but also globally connected. Ultimately, we do not lack creativity. The real challenge is creating the conditions that allow our people to turn that creativity into sustainable livelihoods. and ensuring that the value created by our cultures, knowledge, and our creative work is captured not only by platforms and intermediaries, but also by the creators and communities themselves. South-South cooperation can help us to do that faster by allowing us to learn from one another, share practical solutions, and build partnerships that are relevant to the realities of developing countries. And I thank you. UNOSSC · Director [1:08:34]: Thank you very much, Excellency. And thank you for underscoring the importance of the value chain, looking at it end to end, and of course, the many points that you raised, including on South-South cooperation. I think this is definitely also noted by us also on the flip side of of the equation and hopefully not only with the Global Alliance that we will launch, but I think we will also relay that message in terms of the need to have a strategic approach to South-South cooperation. And I think the UN entity on the ground can definitely help with that. Thank you very much. I know that we are a bit delayed, but that was due to the technical glitch. We do have WIPO, I think a lot of calls on intellectual property were raised by all the countries. So, Mr. Victor Vasquez Lopez, director of WIPO office here in New York, if you could shed the light on the role of WIPO that in terms of play or helping the countries to unlock the economic potential of the creative economy, including by enabling individual creators, creative MSMEs and local communities to protect, commercialize and derive greater value from their creative assets. and also to shed the light on the policy and institutional conditions that are needed to ensure that creators and the creative enterprises and local communities can effectively use the intellectual property system and benefit from it fully. The floor is yours. WIPO · Director, WIPO Office in New York [1:10:20]: Thank you. Thank you very much. Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, it is an honor to be speaking on behalf of the World Intellectual Property Organization about the important topic of creative economy. Previous speakers have highlighted the impact of the creative economy in different areas, including Ambassador Hadi Mr. Bodillo Martinez, also the DPR just now from Namibia, on different areas. ASG Sankar referred to employment, to the impact on employment, and indeed the impact on employment of the creative economy is tremendous, 4% on global employment. with particularly a strong impact on young people and women. And this may seem paradoxical because we see creative activity as a very individual activity, a very solitary activity, a music composer, a writer works on her own. But then for that work to reach to the market, to the public, there has to be a publishing company, there has to be agents, bookshops, libraries. For music, there has to be bands, orchestras, instruments, radios, TV, concert halls, advertisements. So there is a rippling effect on employment, which is really tremendous. And intellectual property plays a vital role in the creative economy. It might be seen as the missing link between talent and development, because this intellectual property is what is going to facilitate that bridge towards market. If we look at copyright-based industries, we see that they account between 4% and 7% of GDP in countries like Mexico, Kenya, Philippines, Botswana, Indonesia, in 50 countries that we have surveyed. So what is the role of WIPO to address the creative economy? To support the creative economy, we take an integrated ecosystem approach, combining technical assistance, policy dialogue, community engagement, institutional partnerships, and cross-regional cooperation. First, we help creators understand and use IP through projects on the ground, capacity building, and learning platforms. CLIP, Creators Lane Intellectual Property is an example of this, a free to use online learning platform where experienced musicians and mentors help creators make better business choices. This peer network approach is also used by the WIPO Fantastic Agents of the Creative Economy, known as WIPO FACE, a global community connecting creators, artists, entrepreneurs, experts, and partners. It supports networking, peer learning, mentorship, and policy advocacy, helping creators and micro, small, and medium enterprises understand and use IP in their communities. Indonesia offers a good example of this. ecosystem integrated approach, as illustrated by initiatives developed in the country, such as Animate and Innovate with IP, a WIPO-supported project designed to strengthen the ability of the next generation of Indonesian creators to develop, protect, commercialize, and license IP assets. Second, WIPO fosters knowledge sharing. IP lies at the core of the creative economy, and knowledge sharing is crucial to ensuring that creators can fully benefit from it. Through one-day IP workshops and other programmes, WIPO equips creators, start-ups and MSMEs to manage IP as a strategic business asset and learn from one another's experience. Just last week, we held a workshop supporting innovators selected through the 2026 UN Call for Innovations for the SDGs Challenge, co-convened by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. But capacity building alone is not enough. Creators need also accessible IP services, coherent policies, capable institutions, finance, and pathways to markets. WIPO's creative ecosystem diagnostic model helps countries build a shared evidence-based understanding of their creative economies by examining the institutional environment, resources for creative production and outputs demonstrating economic impact. The model is used in more than 50 countries and with regional partners and it identifies the strengths, gaps, and opportunities so that governments can design more targeted policies, institutions, and IP frameworks for their creative economy. This also creates a practical basis for South-South and triangular cooperation. Countries can compare evidence, which is a standardized exchange experience, adapt successful models, and build cross-regional partnerships. This cross-regional approach can strengthen IP management, valuation and commercialization, improve access to markets and finance, and help transform creative assets into viable and investable opportunities. The World Conference on Creative Economy, initiated and hosted by Indonesia, demonstrates this spirit of cooperation. WIPO has partnered in this effort since the third conference in Bali in 2018, The fifth edition of the conference to be held in Jakarta in October 2026 will provide another opportunity to advance global and South-South dialogue on creativity, innovation and IP. During the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, WIPO will also highlight two initiatives that demonstrate how IP can support both the creative economy and the broader innovation ecosystem. And we are cordially invited to both of them. The first event on 18 September will highlight the WIPO Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Interchange Initiative, known as AIII, a multi-stakeholder dialogue which seeks to ensure that creators can identify, credit and support their content as AI evolves, strengthening the infrastructure that underpins a sustainable and thriving creative economy. The second event on September 21st will highlight the WIPO Green Initiative, which connects innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers and businesses to help commercialize and scale green technologies, transforming ideas and IP into sustainable economic and social value. In closing, I would like to highlight that intellectual property is fundamental to the creative economy and South-South cooperation, as was recognized by many of the speakers previously. It turns creativity into jobs, exports, and finance. These contributions support the UN General Assembly Resolution 7833 on promoting the creative economy for sustainable development and advance the 2030 agenda. WIPO extends, stands ready to partner with member states, creators and local communities through practical country led tools tailored to different contexts. Together, we can ensure that the creative economy becomes a more inclusive, sustainable and impactful pillar of development. I thank you. UNOSSC · Director [1:19:01]: Thank you very much, Mr. Lopez. for sharing WIPO's approaches, including this integrated system approach, and for inviting everybody for the two upcoming events. I think it will be very informative. With this, we come to a conclusive end to this very interesting discussion. And I think there is a lot of key messages that came out of this discussion today. First, we all agree and with all the interventions that the creative economy is part of the economic diversification, the enterprise development, digital transformation, employment and social inclusion. It is therefore needs to be reflected and mainstream development, trade, investment, education, technology and local development policies. Second, we need to connect creativity with value. Protecting intellectual property is essential, but protection alone is not enough. Developing countries also need capacity for valuation, financing, commercialization, fair remuneration, data, and access to markets. And third, South-South cooperation can help countries move faster by sharing institution and policy approaches, skills, technologies, and market connections that have already been tested in comparable context. The objective is not to reproduce a model, but to adapt experiences with country ownership and cultural context at the center. And fourth, inclusion must be designed into the ecosystem. Women, young people, local communities, individual creators, and micro and small enterprises should not remain at the margin of digital platforms, finance, or global value chains. So the next milestone is actually Jakarta. The fifth World Conference on Creative Economy provides an opportunity to move from recognition to implementation. And I hope that the Jakarta vision will capture the priorities voiced today and translate them into concrete partnerships, peer learning arrangements and pathways for investments and market access. And here also encouraging each institutions represented here today to carry forward one recommendations and one partnership proposal from this room to Jakarta, subject to the necessary consultations. We also stand ready to help and put our platforms at the service of all the member states. Thank you very much, Excellencies. And with this, we conclude this discussion. Thank you.