Creative industries development for the diversity of cultural expression-strengthening the sustainability of creative industry in Mongolia
Since ratifying the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in 2007, Mongolia has increasingly paid attention to developing their creative and cultural industries (CCIs). International assistance has also supported this process by ensuring that all relevant stakeholders integrate culture in their development priorities.
From 2008 to 2013, activities undertaken under the UNESCO/Republic of Korea partnership contributed to raising the awareness of Mongolian authorities and local cultural institutions about the importance of developing their CCIs, particularly the crafts sector. Concretely, these activities contributed to enhancing the creative, productive and managerial capacities of crafts artisans.
Against this backdrop, this new project aims to upscale the strategy developed for the crafts sector to other CCIs with a practical implementation for some pilot sectors. This project is in line with the MDG-based National Development Strategy of and the UN Development Assistance Framework for Mongolia.
General aim:
This project aims to enhance the understanding of stakeholders and authorities on the potential of cultural and creative industries through a cultural mapping exercise, develop, test and implement a comprehensive strategy and action plan involving all main stakeholders.
A set of policy recommendations on CCIs was presented and discussed.
41 participants were trained in the national consultation and workshop.
An inter-sectoral research project team of 10 experts was created.
A first national consultation meeting and workshop on mapping of cultural industries in Mongolia, was conducted from 31 May to 3 June 2016. The meeting was facilitated by a member of the 2005 Convention’s Expert Facility and was opened by Mr L. Gantumur, Minister of Education, Culture and Science of Mongolia and a high representative of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Mongolia.
The consultation and workshop enhanced the capacities of 41 participants in the methodologies for mapping cultural and creative industries to collect data and provided evidence-based policy advice.
An inter-sectoral and cross-ministerial project team composed of 10 members was created, which made the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs work together with academia, private sector and civil society on cultural policy design and implementation on cultural industries for the first time in Mongolia. Topics discussed included, Policies on Cultural Industries Development, Cultural Statistics in Mongolia, and Creative Clusters.
Based on methodologies learnt during the training workshop held in 2016 and in view of providing a sound basis for evidence-based policy making, the project team carried out a thorough research and data collection for mapping of cultural and creative industries from January to August 2017 with guidance from the international expert.
This resulted in a solid study with data inputs from all relevant sectors –the first of its kind in Mongolia. Based on the 2009 UNESCO Framework for Cultural Statistics, the team subsequently developed a customized mapping framework for the collection of cultural data in Mongolia and its measurement and evaluation.
The evidence gathered from the analysis of the data prompted the development of a set of policy recommendations for the development of cultural and creative industries in the country, organized around the following topics: (i) reform of the legal framework, (ii) development of cultural statistics in line with international practices, (iii) capacity-building of human resources, (iv) development of creative industries in cultural and arts institutions, (v) copyright protection, (vi) enabling financial and fiscal environment, (vii) promotion of Mongolian cultural and creative industries in the international arena, (viii) and reform of the role and mandate of relevant cultural authorities.
Concurrently, the international expert engaged in the review of the Quadrennial Periodic Report (QPR) submitted by Mongolia in 2016 in view of discussing a blueprint for solid data collection for the next cycle of reporting (due in 2020).
The results of the research exercise, findings from the QPR analysis and policy recommendations were discussed at a National Roundtable Meeting for the Development of the Creative Sector in Mongolia held on 20 October 2017. The meeting gathered representatives from all 21 provinces of Mongolia and the 9 districts of Ulaanbaatar, for a total of 78 participants (68% female). The ownership of project results was transferred to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sports for their future implementation of recommended actions for the sustainability of the project outcomes.
Awareness-raising materials were developed to enhance the understanding of targeted groups and the public on the relation of cultural and creative industries with economic development. Graphic posters were developed through a photographic contest for young artists on the theme “creativity and the diversity of cultural expressions”.