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In conclusion, the removal of the old type models of culture as mainly means of promoting national identity will depend on identi?cation of and investment in new sources of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth to stimulate the sector. Building on their rich and diverse culture, knowledge and creative talent, Caribbean people must also pioneer new ways of creating value-added, but also of working together and sharing resources across the region. The current attempts to create and/or reinvent policies regarding Cultural Industries and other initiatives lack clear and systematic strategic planning for economic development. This poses great di?culty for liaising between donors and national governments. Far too much still depends on o?cial procedures and the vicissitudes of usually ad hoc policy changes from government to government. The power that individual ministries, institutions and even individuals may be able to wield in developing key reforms remains a challenge. The provisions for the creative sector established in the CARIFORUM?EU EPA need practical realization. For decisive progress beyond national and regional markets, much will depend on the rapid and e?cient conversion of new ideas into systematic and meaningful implementation. This essentially requires less talk and more action to ful?ll the growing expectation that the region s creative industries will be eventually recognised as dependable, internationally viable and predictable market sources
Ramesh Chaitoo is an International Trade Policy expert who specializes in services and investment issues and has a particular interest in the creative industries in developing countries. From 2003-??09 he was the Head of the Services Trade Unit at the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) and advised Caribbean governments on negotiating strategies and service sector development. He was responsible for services and investment negotiations in the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between CARIFORUM and the European Union. Previously, he was a Senior Associate at Carleton University'?s Centre for Trade Policy and Law (CTPL) in O`awa, Canada. The preceding article is the summary of a paper originally prepared for the Inter American Development Bank.
Volume 5 July - September 2013
www.creativeindustriesexchange.com
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