Creative Industries Africa
Africa | Government
The African Union (AU) is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. The AU was established on 26 May 2001 in Addis Ababa and launched on 9 July 2002 in South Africa to replace the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). The most important decisions of the AU are made by the Assembly of the African Union, a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states. The AU’s secretariat, the African Union Commission, is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Africa Investment Forum: closing the technology gap promises significant gains for Africa’s creative industries
Oct 26, 2022 – The Africa Investment Forum prioritizes sectors that can help African economies fend off the triple challenges associated with lingering Covid-19 impacts, Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has spurred spikes in food and fuel prices, and climate change.
The Africa Investment Forum will hold its Market Days 2022 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from the 2nd to 4th of November. Creative industries will be a key priority sector, with fashion, film and textile projects expected to feature. Transactions in the digital and communications infrastructure sector—a critical component of developing creative industries—are also likely to feature.
> afdb.org/africa-investment-forum-closing-technology-gap-promises-significant-gains-africas-creative-industries
UNESCO Africa
© UNESCO/Cyril Bailleul
UNESCO
Harnessing the creativity of the African fashion industry to provide youth with skills and employment
Oct 3, 2019 – Coinciding with the launch of Paris Fashion Week, UNESCO hosted a round table discussion, Made in Africa: the next global manufacturing hub?, at its Headquarters in Paris on 23 September. Focusing on the potential of Africa’s fashion industry, the event brought together leading experts on the Continent’s clothing and fashion sector. It began with a fashion show featuring the work of the designers participating in the conference.
> unesco.org/news/harnessing-creativity-african-fashion-industry-provide-youth-skills-and-employment
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Capacity Building Programme in Africa
UNESCO has launched a Pilot Capacity-Building Programme in 2012. The Programme is part of a long-term strategic investment to provide countries with the tools, capacities and expertise they need to implement the Convention and to develop effective policies for their cultural and creative sectors. The Programme targets key areas requiring specialized technical support, developing tailor-made solutions that meet national needs and contexts. It is also serving to create exciting synergies between key leaders in the cultural field, and to identify potential areas for future scale-up or action. Partnerships, information exchange, and the establishment of a network of local experts on the Convention are central priorities of the Pilot Programme in recognition of the importance of building up national technical and institutional capacity to boost the production, promotion, distribution and enjoyment of cultural expressions in Africa.
> unesco.org/capacity-building/programmes/young-specialists-africa
United Nations
Africa Renewal
The Africa Renewal information programme, produced by the Africa Section of the United Nations Department of Public Information, provides up-to-date information and analysis of the major economic and development challenges facing Africa today. Among the major items it produces is the renowned magazine, Africa Renewal (formerly Africa Recovery), which first appeared in 1987. It also produces a range of public information materials, including backgrounders, press releases and feature articles. It works with the media in Africa and beyond to promote the work of the United Nations, Africa and the international community to bring peace and development to Africa.
> un.org/africarenewal/
African Development Bank Group’s (AfDB)
Africa | Associations
Experience Africa
The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) has developed the program “Experience Africa” to promote social and economic development within Africa, and to strengthen relations between cultural groups and nation states on the continent. At the global level, the program works to promote stronger political, economic, and cultural links between Africa and other regions.
The challenges and opportunities facing the African continent have been widely acknowledged and discussed by commentators across the world. At the domestic level, African states are under pressure to improve social and economic development, in particular with regards to education, healthcare, and infrastructure. At the regional and global levels they must address issues of political instability, international trade imbalances, and a comparatively weak influence in global politics and economics.
These challenges are accompanied by opportunities, however. The African continent is not only the world’s largest and second most populous, but also has an abundance of natural resources: A key foundation for increasing economic influence at the global level. Furthermore, as one of the world’s most diverse regions, Africa has tremendous potential to develop its tourist industries and to do so in environmentally sustainable manner.
> Global Trends in Creative Economies in Africa