by Bambang Purwanto
JAKARTA, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia was expected to lead the implementation of the International Year of Creative Economy 2021 effectively for the recovery of the creative economic sector amid the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.
The plan initiated by Indonesia was decided by the United Nations through the UN General Assembly Resolution No. 74/198.
This is considered as a form of Indonesia's international leadership in encouraging the development of the international creative economy.
Realizing the potential role of creative economy for global economy, Indonesia proposed a theme "Inclusively Creative: A Global Recovery" for the implementation of the International Year of Creative Economy, Deputy Foreign Minister Mahendra Siregar and Deputy Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Angela H. Tanoesoedibjo said.
The two officials made the remarks at the opening of a meeting under the theme Friends of Creative Economy (FCE) on Wednesday, which was held at a joint initiative between the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, and the Foreign Ministry, in Indonesia's province of Banten.
The event was participated by participants from 55 countries representing governments and international organizations including the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
"The inclusivity came from our belief that by giving the same opportunity regardless of any backgrounds, the creative economy will bridge the cohesiveness between communities," Tanoesoedibjo said.
According to her, the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked digital disruption, and now is the time to overcome the challenge and take the opportunity of digitalization and its influence to the creative economic sector.
Meanwhile, Siregar underscored the importance of turning the challenge into an opportunity by linking the creative economic sector and its access to financial inclusion, and enhancing international collaboration.
The deputy foreign minister also said the International Year of Creative Economy should be implemented inclusively and oriented to actions.
The Foreign Ministry's Director General of Multilateral Cooperation Febrian Ruddyard said the meeting identified four main parameters for the implementation of the International Year of the Creative Economy, namely being inclusive, innovative, meaningful and impactful.
He said those are important to ensure that the implementation would give concrete contributions to reviving the creative sector towards strong resilience and playing a role in the global recovery.
The meeting has also identified a number of international programs and initiatives to carry out the plan in efforts to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the current new normal era, he added.
To show Indonesia's leadership in the creative economy, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy also organized a webinar on creative economy in Southeast Asia to encourage the game and creative content industry on Aug. 18 in Banten province.
Director of Inter-institutions at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy K. Candra Negara said players in the game and creative content industry in ASEAN were expected to formulate common strategies and measures.
"Sharing information among all the stakeholders in Southeast Asia really needs to be done to raise the awareness, enhance cooperation and extend networking," Negara said, calling on players in the game and creative content industry to adapt themselves to the new normal.
"We should believe that the creative economy is a key to economic development and can grow faster through international cooperation," Negara said.
Sharing the idea with Negara, the ministry's Director of the Industry of Creative Film, TV and Animation, Syaifullah, said creative businesses that involve direct physical contact are currently being affected by the pandemic.
The traffic of animations, games and films tends to rise as during the time of social restrictions, more people watch films and play games at home, but the production process which involves more than 100 people was forced to cease.
Syaifullah said the challenge faced by the game and creative content industry players is that they have to adjust themselves to a work rhythm that was very different from that before as now the production process should be done digitally.
Thus, the ministry continues to provide assistance for the workers in the creative industry in the forms of stimulus and supporting facilities to support the digital transformation so that they can continue to work with all the limitations.
In the past several years, Indonesia has been active in efforts to develop the creative economy at the international level.
Indonesia has managed to hold a world conference on creative economy in 2018, which was adopted from the Bali agenda on the economic development.
The country also planned to organize the second World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) in Bali, Indonesia, in mid 2021. Enditem
