UNCTAD's Creative Economy Programme generates economic information through a trade lens to understand trends and promote a data-led understanding of trade in creative goods and services, intellectual property, ideas, and imagination.
What We do?
Promote the creative economy as a new source of growth.
Support government initiatives to develop integrated creative economy public policies and institution-building.
Liaise with governments, artists, creators, academia, and civil society to strengthen the creative economy in developing countries.
Provide demand-driven policy advice and technical assistance to governments.
Build synergies within the United Nations system: UNCTAD, UNESCO, and the United Nations Multi-Agency Informal Group on Creative Industries.
Organize and participate in international conferences, national seminars, or sectoral workshops.
Facilitate networking through the UNCTAD Creative Economy Network and Academic Exchange.
Contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDGs 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 16.
Our goal is to:
Generate and analyze data on the trade in creative goods and services.
Develop a better understanding of global, country, and city creative trade.
Build a network of people, governments, and organizations that work to promote development through creativity.
Create platforms for promoting the creative economy as a tool for economic diversification and sustainable, equitable, and inclusive livelihoods.
One of our significant initiatives is the UNCTAD Creative Economy Network, a platform for those interested in developing the creative economies of all nations everywhere.
UNCTAD’s Creative Economy Network links academia, artists, creative professionals, and civil society to build a network that promotes international cooperation, strategic alliances, research exchanges, and advocacy.
To date, through the Creative Economy Network, UNCTAD has proactively facilitated sharing knowledge and best practices. It has forged strategic alliances and networks among governments, creators, the business community, and the civil society.