Ideas for Developing Asia and the Pacific

Call for Policy Papers on Creative Economy 2030: Imagining and Delivering a Robust, Inclusive, and Sustainable Recovery

Creative Economy 2030: Imagining and Delivering a Robust, Inclusive, and Sustainable Recovery
Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat

Before the COVID-19 crisis, the creative economy, broadly encompassing knowledge-based economic activities underpinning the creative and cultural sectors and bridging art, culture, technology, and business, was on pace to account for 10% of global GDP by 2030. In recognition of its economic and social significance as a driver of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations in 2019 declared 2021 the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. However, the creative economy, and the micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and the informal workers that drive it, have been especially hard hit by pandemic lockdowns.

Reviving the creative economy, facilitated by the digital marketplace, will be critical to realizing an inclusive recovery that boosts MSMEs and employment for women and youth in the region’s rural and urban areas, as reflected in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recovery framework. The Group of 20 (G20) is also exploring how the creative economy, along with culture and tourism, could contribute to a more inclusive global recovery. This includes hosting the first G20 culture ministers meeting in 2021, to examine the links between responsible consumption and investment, social inclusion, gender equality, and the value of tangible and intangible heritage.

The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and ASEAN Secretariat are seeking original, unpublished policy papers on creative economy development and its role in delivering a robust and inclusive post-pandemic recovery, particularly among developing economies in Asia and the Pacific, and the realization of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Selected papers will be featured during a related conference in November 2021 and considered for inclusion in an ADBI-ASEAN Secretariat publication, helping to set the stage for Indonesia’s G20 presidency in 2022. Submission topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Post-COVID-19 Creative Economy Development

  • Key post-COVID-19 challenges regarding creative economy quantitative metrics and intellectual property rights norms and standards and ways to overcome them
  • Ways to strengthen social infrastructure to support better social protection for workers in informal economic sectors and MSMEs in the creative and cultural industries
  • Synergies that could be developed between the creative economy and other sectors, such as tourism and culture, to help them thrive and drive sustainable and impactful investment
  • How digital platforms, the acceleration of technological innovation, and digital content development can enhance the revival of creative economy sectors, as well as e-marketing and promotion strategies for creative goods and services
  • How women and youth contribute to creative economy development
  • Ways developing countries can develop successful post-COVID-19 creative economic sectors and cross-border cooperation, taking into account regional initiatives such as the Orange Economy or the World Conference on Creative Economy’s Bali Agenda
  • Sustainable financing challenges and solutions for the creative economy, including the roles of financial technologies, the private sector, and governments

Creative Economy Contributions to Inclusive and Sustainable Recovery

  • Ways the creative economy can contribute to inclusive and sustainable COVID-19 recovery and the realization of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals
  • Ways the creative economy can contribute to an inclusive fourth industrial revolution and infrastructure priorities for boosting creative economy development
  • How the creative economy can benefit from, and contribute to, responsible consumption and production, a circular economy, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) development
  • The relationship between transformations in creative and cultural industries and local cultures and identities, the implications of the mass production of creative goods, and next generation creative and cultural industries

Submission Procedure

Authors should submit their policy paper summaries in English by 10 July 2021 via this link. Policy paper summaries should be about 150-250 words and include the title, name of author(s), affiliation(s), position(s), and email.

Authors of selected summaries will be notified by 24 July 2021.

Authors of selected summaries should submit their full policy papers by 30 September 2021. Policy papers should adhere to the Submission Guidelines for ADBI Publications. They should also be 3,500-6,000 words in length, including references, and consist of the following:

  • Proposed title
  • Author information (including co-authors): name, affiliation, address, and email
  • Summary (150-250 words)
  • Keywords or keyword phrases (4-8)
  • Introduction
  • Main text (split into sections and with headings and subheadings)
  • Conclusion and policy recommendations
  • References

Arrangements for Selected Papers

Authors of accepted full policy papers will be invited to present their work during the Creative Economy 2030 Conference in November 2021 at ADBI in Tokyo. The conference will be held virtually in the event of COVID-19 travel disruptions.

Accepted full policy papers will also be considered for inclusion in the planned publication.

Editorial Committee

  • Tetsushi Sonobe, ADBI
  • Seungju Baek, ADBI
  • Tan Ghee Tiong (Jonathan Tan), ASEAN Secretariat
  • Nicolas J.A. Buchoud, Global Solutions Initiative, Renaissance Urbaine
  • Nella Sri Hendriyetty, ADBI
  • Erica Paula Sioson, ASEAN Secretariat

Contact

Inquiries may be directed to Nella Hendriyetty.

Related