After a successful High Level Panel meeting in Geneva, 14-15 January 2008, The UNCTAD Creative Economy & Industries Programme is glad to announce a series of events which will be held during UNCTAD XII, from 20-25 April, in Accra, Ghana.

The quadrennial ministerial conference of UNCTAD will be enlivened by a weeklong 'Creative Africa' festival highlighting the continent's contemporary art, music, dance and fashion.

The events will consist of:                     

I. The launch of the Creative Economy Report;

II. The launch of the Creative Africa Initiative.  

The programme will include various activities such as two open dialogues and cultural events including:

20 April: Launch of the Creative Economy Report Press conference held by Supachai Panitchpakdi, UNCTAD Secretary-General, and Kemal Dervis, United Nations Development Programme Administrator.

21 April: Promoting partnerships and concrete initiatives for enhancing the creative economy in Africa The dialogue will provide a platform to shape business, investments, partnerships and international cooperation through action-oriented initiatives. Hopefully, it will open new veneus to strenghthining the capacities and competitiveness of Africa's creative products for trade and development gains.

22 April From fashion to African communities and the Millennium Development Goals Open discussion on the opportunities for poor communities, African designers and SMEs in the global market of Ethical Fashion. How to overcome prevailing obstacles to enter the value chains, and benefit from African raw materials such as cotton or leather? The dialogue will be a pathway for linking designers and retailers/distributors in fashion markets, aiming at a win-win supply chain models.