UNESCO: Re|shaping policies for creativity 4th report
Earlier this week, UNESCO launched the fourth edition of the Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity report twenty years after the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions was adopted. The report explores how the vision in the Convention is translated into policy-led action today, building upon data and analysis of 120 countries and common trends, challenges and opportunities. The findings are readable both as a large PDF, and as an online report.
Across 10 thematic chapters, including on cultural governance, digital environments, civil society, sustainable development and gender equality, the report provides evidence-based analysis and recommendations for policy-makers on how to “strengthen inclusive and sustainable governance frameworks and create the conditions for creativity to thrive.”
Some of the main findings include:
- 85% of surveyed countries integrate cultural and creative industries industries into national development plans, yet only 56% set specific cultural goals;
- Global trade in cultural goods doubled to US$254 billion between 2005 and 2023, yet they account for just over 20% of cultural services trade despite rapid digital growth.
- Direct public funding for culture remains low globally – under 0.6% of GDP – and continues to decline.
- Development aid for culture is even more limited, accounting for just 0.15% of the total Country Programmable Aid in 2022.
Image credit: Diana Ejaita (2026)