Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia is promoting the creative economy as a strategic driver of economic growth and job creation in developing countries, Creative Economy Minister Teuku Riefky Harsya said.
“For many countries in the Global South, the creative economy is the real pathway toward growth, job creation, and pride in our own stories,” he said at the opening of the fifth World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) 2026 in Jakarta on Thursday.
He said Indonesia’s hosting of the conference reflects its efforts to advance the creative economy and integrate it into the global development agenda.
Harsya cited United Nations Conference on Trade and Development data showing that global exports of creative goods and services reached US$1.7 trillion in 2024.
In Indonesia, the creative economy contributed about 7.38 percent of gross domestic product and employed 27.4 million people, he said.
These figures highlight the sector’s role in supporting economic growth and expanding employment opportunities, the minister added.
He stressed that cooperation among governments, creators, businesses, academia, communities, and the media is essential to building an enabling ecosystem for the creative economy.
Harsya also highlighted Indonesia’s efforts to promote the sector through the United Nations General Assembly, citing resolutions adopted in 2019 and 2023.
He said Indonesia’s delegation in New York was pursuing updates to the resolutions during the UNGA’s 81st session, which is scheduled to run until Sept. 7, 2027.
The minister expressed hope that the creative economy would remain a priority on the global development agenda, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
The 2026 WCCE, themed “Inclusively Creative, Collective Continuity,” focuses on four pillars: technology; artificial intelligence and digital transformation; intellectual property and creative rights; and inclusion, creative ecosystems, and community empowerment.
The four pillars will form the foundation of the Jakarta Vision on the Creative Economy.
Through the conference, Indonesia aims to encourage the international community to recognize the creative economy not merely as a cultural sector but as a catalyst for growth, employment, and business opportunities in developing countries.
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Translator: F. Ashari, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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