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Through this guide, UNESCO provides practical guidance to policymakers as they fight for the inclusion of the cultural and creative industries in social and economic recovery plans. In order to comply with health and safety measures, and to adapt to new business models, both financial and technical support has been and will continue to be necessary. However, it is important to recognize the support mobilized thus far has been multifaceted.

Despite recent progress in promoting gender equality in the cultural and creative industries, as well as the renewed attention generated by the both the pandemic and the #MeToo movement, much work remains if we are to achieve gender equality in this sector. Impediments to gender equality in the cultural and creative sectors are numerous, and include unequal access to decent employment, fair remuneration, and leadership positions, as well as barriers to seniority.

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.

While music rights holders are collectively being remunerated more than ever before, the (re)distribution of revenue in the music streaming value chain remains extremely uneven and opaque. When the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed live performance opportunities, it became clear that despite the success of music streaming, the great majority of artists remain unable to rely on digital revenues alone to sustain their livelihoods.

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 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.