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Harnessing Creativity for Sustainable Development: Assessing Sri Lanka’s Cultural and Creative Industry
UNESCO New Delhi Regional Office in collaboration with the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Government of Sri Lanka organized an Introductory Workshop on UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions - ‘Harnessing Creativity for Sustainable Development: Assessing Sri Lanka’s Cultural and Creative Industry’, on 23 October 2023 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The workshop was graced by the presence of several esteemed dignitaries including Mr. Somarathne Vidanapatathirana, Secretary, Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Government of Sri Lanka, Prof. Sirimali Fernando, Secretary-General of the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO and Dr Gamini Ranasinghe, Director General, Central Cultural Fund, Sri Lanka.
The Cultural and creative industries play a pivotal role in achieving several Sustainable Development goals. According to the UNESCO 2O22 Global report, this sector, often referred to as the "Orange Economy", contributes a substantial 3.1% to the global GDP and provides employment to around 50 million people worldwide, accounting for 6.2% of global employment.
The workshop offered invaluable insights into the global context of cultural and creative industries, and delved into the current status of Sri Lanka's cultural and creative sector, revealing its immense potential and highlighted the critical actions Sri Lanka could undertake to fully unlock the creative sector's potential and provide essential support to its artists.
This workshop for the first time brought together major stakeholders from Sri Lanka's cultural and creative sector including civil society organizations such as George Keyt Foundation, John Keels Foundation, Museum of Modern and contemporary art and international organisations such as the European Union and British council among others, fostering a unique platform for dialogue and collaboration.
The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions is a critical tool for driving sustainable growth. This workshop was part of UNESCO New Delhi Regional Office’s efforts to facilitate the ratification of the Convention by Sri Lanka.
UNESCO New Delhi will continue to extend its full support to the Government of Sri Lanka in their journey towards ratifying this Convention.
