Speaking at the "Exploring the Global South: Epistemologies, Development Pathways, and Research Network" forum on Thursday, Radi Manggala, Director of Marketing System Development and Inter-Institutional Relations at the Ministry of Creative Economy, said the creative sector is inclusive and has relatively low barriers to entry.
Everyone — regardless of origin, gender, or religion — can participate in the creative economy, as long as they are creative and innovative, he said.
"Because it evolves at a relatively steady pace and can be practiced anywhere, it also holds great potential as a sustainable sector," he added
He noted that the creative economy has proven resilient during global disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Citing UNCTAD data, Manggala highlighted its impact in several Global South countries. In 2022, for example, the creative economy contributed 7.3 percent to the Philippines' GDP and employed 7 million people. Nigeria’s creative industries employed 3.2 million people in 2019.
In Indonesia, the sector contributed around US$82 billion to the GDP in 2021 and employed 24 million people in 2022, according to Statistics Indonesia.
Manggala emphasized the need to mainstream the creative economy in South-South development strategies, given the region’s large, tech-savvy youth population and expanding markets.
"We need to integrate the creative economy into Global South cooperation and diplomacy," he said. "The opportunity is there."
He also noted that the creative economy supports global cooperation by enabling the movement of creative talent through digital innovation in an open and inclusive ecosystem.
This concept has been acknowledged in the UN General Assembly Resolutions of 2021 and 2023, as well as in major international platforms such as the G20, APEC, OECD, MIKTA, and ASEAN.
Indonesia has also taken a leading role in advancing the global creative economy agenda through the World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE), launched in 2018.
"WCCE is a key platform for Indonesia to celebrate, promote, and localize the creative economy both at home and globally," Manggala said.
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Translator: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie
Editor: Anton Santoso
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