Statement on

The Multi-Year Expert Meeting on Trade Services and Development

The statement delivered by the Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran before 11th session of The Multi-Year Expert Meeting on Trade Services and Development is as follows:

Statement

By

Mr. Alireza JEYRANI HOKMABAD

Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran

To the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva

Before

The Multi-Year Expert Meeting on Trade, Services and Development

11^th Session

 

10 July 2024, Geneva

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم

 

Madam President,

Madam Secretary General

Excellencies,

Distinguished delegates,

 

Allow me to join colleagues and congratulate you Madam President for the assumption of the chairing of the Eleventh Session of the Multi-year Expert Meeting on Trade, Services, and Development. I am confident that under your astute leadership this session will be a success.

I would also extend our sincere appreciation to Secretary General Grynspan for her presence and insightful remarks. I also thank Ms. Miho Shirotori, Acting Director of the Division of International Trade and Commodities at UNCTAD, for her precise background briefing on the topic at hand. Finally, I extend my appreciation to the speakers for their valuable and insightful discussion sincere gratitude to the UNCTAD secretariat for the excellent arrangements.

Associating myself with the statements made by G77 and China as well as the Asia Pacific Group (APG), I would like to offer the following observations:

Madam President,

The creative economy presents unprecedented opportunities for economic development and diversification, particularly for developing nations. The sector's exponential growth is evident in the proliferation of digital platforms, streaming services, and the expanding influence of video games across diverse industries.

Global exports of creative services reached an impressive $1.4 trillion in 2022, underscoring the sector's vital contribution to international trade. This remarkable growth has been primarily driven by software and research and development services, alongside the increasing digitalization of creative services.

However, we note with deep concern that developed economies continue to dominate this sector, accounting for 80% of exports in 2022. This stark disparity highlights the persistent challenges faced by developing countries, including inadequate infrastructure, skills gaps, and trade barriers.

Madam President,

The digital transformation of the creative economy, propelled by artificial intelligence (AI), presents both immense opportunities and significant challenges. While AI has the potential to revolutionize the production, distribution, and consumption of creative works, enhancing reach and efficiency, it also raises critical issues:

1.            Maintaining the quality and authenticity of AI-produced services
2.            Addressing and mitigating algorithmic biases
3.            Safeguarding cultural diversity and heritage
4.            Mitigating potential job displacement and ensuring a just transition
5.             Establishing clear and equitable guidelines on intellectual property rights

We emphasize the urgent need for developing countries to bridge digital divides to fully harness the advantages of AI in creative services. Without addressing these gaps, the benefits of the creative economy may remain largely inaccessible to many nations, exacerbating existing inequalities.

Madam President,

In light of these observations, we call upon the international community and UNCTAD to:

1.     Support comprehensive capacity-building initiatives in developing countries to enhance digital infrastructure, skills, and innovation ecosystems.
2.      Promote fair and equitable access to global markets for creative services from developing nations, including through preferential market access schemes.
3.     Develop international frameworks to address the challenges posed by AI in the creative economy, ensuring that the interests of developing countries are adequately represented and protected.
4.      Encourage knowledge transfer and technology sharing to enable developing countries to participate more fully in the digital creative economy, with a focus on sustainable and inclusive growth.
5.       Foster international cooperation to reduce trade barriers and promote inclusive growth in the creative services sector, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.
6.       Request UNCTAD to conduct comprehensive studies and provide detailed statistics on trade in services, with a particular focus on the creative economy and its impact on developing countries.
7.       Urge UNCTAD to establish a dedicated program to assist developing countries in formulating policies and strategies to harness the potential of the creative economy, including capacity building for negotiating trade agreements in services.

In conclusion, we firmly believe that addressing these issues will contribute to a more balanced and equitable global creative economy, fostering sustainable development and inclusive growth for all nations. We call upon UNCTAD to play a pivotal role in this endeavor, providing the necessary support, research, and policy guidance to developing countries as they navigate the complexities of the evolving creative economy landscape.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.