The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Goodwill Ambassador for the Creative Economy, Roberta Annan will be speaking at the UNCTAD Trade Police Dialogue under the auspices of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The event is scheduled to take place on Monday, 25th January, 2021 on the theme: ‘‘Welcoming the International Year on Creative Economy for Sustainable Development: Creative Economy for Inclusive Development and Global Recovery’’

In attendance will be Isabelle Durant, Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD, Mahendra Siregar, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Marisa Henderson, Head of UNCTAD Creative Economy with a keynote address to be delivered by the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, Sandiaga Uno.

The panel discussion will be led by a cross section of representatives of UN Member States and other international bodies including the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Global Center of Excellence and International Cooperation for Creative Economy (G-CINC) with support from UNESCO, Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), G77, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as other creative economy actors and entrepreneurs like Patrick Kabanda, Author of The Creative Wealth of Nations: Can the Arts Advance Development?

The UNCTAD trade policy dialogue provides a platform for candid discussions on topical issues in international trade policy from a development perspective.

Organized in partnership with Indonesia, UAE and Oman, it will serve as an opportunity for panelists, business leaders and participants to exchange views on policies and strategies implemented by governments in respect of the creative economy to achieve the objective of tackling the hardships of the pandemic and building resilience for future challenges.

The panel discussions will focus on the implications of COVID-19 on the creative economy, analysis of policies, strategies and programs on Creative Economy sectors for sustainable development, and the measures taken by creative economy actors to tackle the drawbacks of the sector.

In her role as UNEP Goodwill Ambassador for the Creative Economy, Roberta Annan has played an active role in the development of Africa’s fashion and lifestyle industry. She has worked with many African businesses and invested in several women’s development initiatives.

She is the Founder of African Fashion Foundation (AFF), a business incubator she started in 2011 to support promising designers from Africa. She is also the Co-Founder of the Impact Fund for African Creatives, a €100 million impact fund investment launching in 2021 aimed at supporting Africa’s creative and lifestyle industries.

The Creative Economy contributes significantly to the global economy and has created new economic opportunities especially for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Creative Economy has been posed with many challenges.

As a result, there is the need for all stakeholders to have a better understanding of these industries to brainstorm and formulate innovative policies and frameworks in a bid to spur innovation and promote sustainable economic growth.

The 2021 International Year on Creative Economy for Sustainable Development will set the pace for these conversations and foster inclusive participation among policy makers, creative actors and entrepreneurs, activists, private sectors, civil society, international organizations, academics, and cultural and creative entities to collaborate, share ideas and build networks that will contribute to the growth of the creative sector.