4th edition of the Beijing International Forum on Creative Economy

Creativity, Technology and Sustainability Shape the Future of Fashion

On 29 May 2019, along with the Beijing Municipal Government and the World Trade Point Federation, UNCTAD organized the Beijing International Forum on Creative Economy in the framework of the 2019 China Trade in Services Fair (CIFTIS).

In recent years, the creative economy has been robust, demonstrating resilience and in some instances growth, indicating that it remains a sector with considerable potential for current and future investment. The main creative industry development and innovation sectors to watch are design, fashion and film, which account for the lion’s share in the world trade in creative goods.  Design goods, a broad category that includes creative industries from fashion to furniture, are the global leaders in terms of demand for creative industries.  Rapid technological advances and growing concerns about sustainability are changing the path of the fashion industry, opening up opportunities for it to become a critical sector in the fostering of inclusive development.

UNCTAD is working with other UN agencies to:
• advocate for more sustainable fashion production and consumption;
• highlight the increasing contribution of the creative economy for local development;
• raise awareness of government, businesses and consumer initiatives that support trade and sustainable development through the creative industries, in particular in the design and fashion industries;
• increase understanding of the fashion value chain;
• enhance knowledge of sustainable fashion and its linkages with cultural heritage; and
• promote more effective collaborative platforms and policies for achieving a creative economy for sustainable development.

The event also included the:
• Launching of the Chinese version of the UNCTAD Report: Creative Economy Outlook: Trends in international trade in creative industries;
• Ethnic Dress, Ethnic Embroidery and Fashion Craftsmen Skills Show (photos below);
• Inauguration of the Exhibition “Spanish Bronzes, the New Silk Route” by EU, UNCTAD and Government of Beijing. (photos below).

UNCTAD also contributed to the 2019 Geographical Indications Forum (30 May) and emphasized the the benefits of using GIs to protect culturally-based products and the importance of its inclusion in trade policy.