Overview of the Agenda: A process of debate and discussion leading to the adoption of a Plan of Action
The Symposium consisted of five sessions: an opening session, three topic-specific sessions and a concluding session. In the topic-specific sessions, there were five types of forums. The different types of sessions were designed to integrate debate and discussion on the theme of the Symposium, from several perspectives: creator, expert, policy-maker, investor.
The plenum meetings entailed keynote addresses from senior international experts in various fields relating to the development of cultural industries in the Asia-Pacific region (including economics, intellectual property rights, finance and training), as well as from representatives of the international organizations convening the Symposium. The plenum meetings, supplemented by the Background Documents provided the overall intellectual framework for the Symposium.
Policy panel discussions were held at the end of each plenum meeting. Conducted by a group of selected Asia-Pacific senior politicians and regional experts, these discussions provided an opportunity to direct the dialogue to Asia-Pacific priorities.
The debates raised the key issues problematic to the successful promotion of cultural industries, and set the agenda for the subsequent roundtables.
The roundtables were opportunities to resolve these issues and prepare input for the Plan of Action that were outlined on the final day of the Symposium. The roundtables allowed for a more in-depth discussion that involved the Symposium’s participants as actively as possible by giving voice to practical examples from experiences around the region.
The drafting groups each examined and discussed certain aspects of the proposed Inter-Agency Technical Assistance Programme, which is part of the proposed Plan of Action. These smaller groups facilitated sharing of ideas and eased the drafting of each section of the Plan of Action.
OPENING SESSION Tuesday evening, 22 February
The Symposium’s Opening Session featured a welcome address by Mr S.K. Misra, Chairman of INTACH and Maureen Liebl from the Mehrangarh Museum Trust, and showcased the success story of Jodhpur in promoting a portfolio of creative enterprises and cultural industries in sustaining economic and community development.
SESSION ONE Wednesday morning, 23 February
Session One set the scene for the discussion by revisiting the debate on culture and economics, as it applies to the Asia-Pacific region, in light of the current international development debate. Beginning with a plenum meeting, the various international agencies involved in the organization of the meeting discussed the goal of strengthening the cultural industries in terms of each agency’s work. This plenum meeting was followed by the first of four policy panel discussions. This discussion, Setting the Asian Agenda – Priorities and Objectives, identified needs and priorities in the region, with particular attention those of the poorer countries.
SESSION TWO Wednesday afternoon, 23 February
Session Two examined the economic and social potential of the cultural industries. Following a plenum meeting to introduce the key issues, participants were divided into two groups for the debates.
Debate One: The Economic Potential of Cultural Industries, discussed the significant aspects of international economic trends related to the cultural industries sector and the potential of cultural industries as a driver for poverty alleviation and economic development.
Debate Two: The Potential of Cultural Industries for Social Development, analyzed the potential of cultural industries to contribute to wider social development.
Following the presentations there was an opportunity for each group to raise specific questions and pinpoint areas to explore in the next session. The two groups converged to briefly report on their debates before participating in the policy panel discussion between experts and politicians that highlighted the main points of the two debates and further explore the socio-economic potential of cultural industries.
SESSION THREE Thursday, 24 February
Session Three discussed policy development for cultural industries, especially in terms of how a changed perception of culture and its role in society has affected the existing systems that support culture. Discussions also focused on how a redefinition of the roles and responsibilities of economic and social actors, and the creation of new institutions of national and international scope, are changing the interface between the public and private sectors in relation to culture and cultural industries. After the initial plenum session which gave an overview of the topic, the group divided into the two roundtables. These roundtables examined the various policy areas which are important in the development of cultural industries.
Roundtable One: Inter-sectoral Management for the Development off Cultural Industries, discussed the conducive conditions or environment required for strengthening cultural industries.
Roundtable Two: Stimulating the Development of Small and Medium Cultural Enterprises, focused specifically on SME development.
The roundtable discussions referred to the proposed conceptual framework for policy development for cultural industries, and prepared input for the ‘Jodhpur Initiatives’ and Plan of Action elaborated on the final day of the Symposium. The two roundtable groups subsequently converged to report on their discussions, and subsequently met for the policy panel discussion on How to Effect Change.
CONCLUDING SESSION Friday, 25 February
The concluding session aimed to produce a draft of the Plan of Action for the support and development of the cultural industries sector in the Asia-Pacific region. After the plenum meeting to discuss the day’s objectives, the participants divided into five drafting groups.
With the day’s aims in mind, each group discussed one of the five components of the proposed inter-agency technical assistance programme (part of the Plan of Action):
Co-ordination: Support for a regional, integrated policy development coordination mechanism to promote cultural industries, as a strategy for poverty alleviation and socio-economic development.
Best-practices: The compilation of a compendium of best practices in the cultural industries sector, from the Asia-Pacific region.
Networking: The promotion of networks that will boost awareness, research and proactive policy development pertaining to cultural industries as a strategy to strengthen the cultural industries sector. These networks will primarily aim at supporting the development of institutionalized training and research.
Creativity Index: The establishment of an Asian Cities Creativity Index, to track and measure the effectiveness of policy initiatives in support of cultural industries.
Data: Implementation of a regional data collection model project, for the establishment of baseline data pertaining to the socio-economic development potential of the cultural industries in specific countries.
The five groups discussed their component of the programme in terms of the policy issues and enabling mechanisms identified during the three previous days.
Following the drafting group session, the five groups converged for a plenum meeting to report on their discussions. The morning session concluded with a final policy panel discussion: Setting the Asian Agenda – A Plan of Action, which involved the discussion of elements for a long-term strategy for strengthening the Asia-Pacific cultural industries in the 21st century.
The session resumed in the afternoon. During the break a drafting committee compiled the reports, and at the afternoon session presented the "Jodhpur Initiatives for Promoting Cultural Industries in the Asia-Pacific Region", which - as the key output of the Symposium - will aim to assist in enabling the cultural industries sector to reach its potential as a key driver for socio-economic development in the region. The initiative was endorsed by the panel members and by the participants, and agreement was reached in the form of the Jodhpur Consensus, a document which states the shared principles of the participants with regards to cultural industries and puts forward a "Call to Action" to those able to contribute to supporting the cultural industries sector and ensuring that it reaches its potential as a driver for socio-economic development and poverty alleviation in Asia and the Pacific.
The Senior Expert Symposium concluded with a Vote of Thanks by representatives from the United Nations and other international organizations convening the Symposium.