Social and Sustainable Economic Transformation

This report, produced with the support of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, is the result of research carried out before the current health crisis. Nevertheless, it reveals flaws in artistic freedom that this crisis will only exacerbate, and progress that may be built upon. While legislative efforts are still needed for better protection of artistic freedom, recent years have seen the emergence of a body of case law from which States can draw, as well as a diversification of mechanisms for the protection of artists at risk.

This publication, Backstage: Managing Creativity and the Arts in SouthEast Asia, draws on the findings of UNESCO’s recent study of the creative sector in the nine countries of the South-East Asian region (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam), which involved a quantitative survey, in-depth interviews and policy analysis.

The EU/UNESCO programme ‘Supporting new regulatory frameworks to strengthen the cultural and creative industries and promote South‑South cooperation’, implemented in 12 UNESCO Member States between 2018 and 2022, leveraged peer‑to‑peer learning as an innovative and effective way to create, strengthen and update policies and regulatory frameworks that support creativity, while promoting diplomatic and cultural exchanges between peers. This toolkit captures the success of the programme.

The cultural organizations and events considered in this policy brief are those whose mission and activities are aimed at disseminating and broadening access to a diversity of cultural expressions. They include, among others, cultural centres, festivals, book fairs, bookshops and libraries, theatres, cinemas, performance venues, broadcasters, and online cultural platforms.

This study represents the culmination of extensive research and the findings from twenty interviews with experts specialized in media freedom, artistic freedom, the protection of human rights defenders and artists. It provides a comparison of the protective frameworks and mechanisms in place to defend the rights of journalists and artists in times of emergency. The ultimate goal of the study is to encourage synergies between artists and journalists, and the communities that work towards their safety.

Unlocking the transformative potential of culture for sustainable development is our common ambition and this process is already underway. Culture is firmly anchored in the 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment, and Member States themselves are giving it an increasingly important place in the international development programmes, in the fields of education, economic development, development and social inclusion.

The Freemuse State of Artistic Freedom Report 2022 shows the extent of attacks on artists and creative freedom in 2021 in numbers and infographics that illustrate the stark reality of the struggle for this right. They show the numbers of artists reported killed, imprisoned, brought to trial, attacked, and subjected to other forms of persecution. There is also a breakdown by region and by sector – music, film, and other art forms. 

This report, after clearly defining what is “freedom of expression” and the crucial social and political roles of artists, proposes an overview of existing international texts protecting and supporting freedom of (artistic) expression, which many countries have ratified and committed to respect. Then, the report delves into the monitoring of the commitment made by national governments when ratifying an international text defending freedom of expression for artists. The report highlights that many countries do not respect their commitments, giving concrete and recent examples.

This report focuses on the needs of civil society, the main challenges facing the cultural sectors in the region such as artistic freedom, dialogue with governments, gender equality, cultural policies and the treatment of culture in trade agreements. Due to the vastness of the Asia-Pacific region and the time allotted for the study, not all countries and regions in AsiaPacific are represented in this report. While some challenges and needs may be recurrent in a majority of countries, most are specific to local contexts and particular histories.

This ‘Culture and the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Challenges and Opportunities’ report results from brainstorming sessions organised as a Voices of Culture Structured Dialogue.  The Structured Dialogue framework enables communication between the European Commission and the cultural sector. Its main objective is to provide a channel for the voice of the cultural sector to be heard by EU policymakers, a voice represented by a group of expert practitioners in Europe selected through an open call.