However, this global crisis has also demonstrated the significant challenges which need to be met to ensure that a diversity of cultural expressions around the world is preserved, in line with UNESCO's 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

Ensuring the diversity of cultural expressions

A new UNESCO report, entitled, Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity, shows that development assistance devoted to culture and recreation is on the decline and although the flow of cultural goods and services globally continues to rise, there has been very little progress in addressing the vast disparity between developed and developing countries. Very strong inequalities also persist in the cultural and creative sectors, like those faced by many women.

This greatly restricts people's exposure to the diversity of cultural expressions from around the world, at a time when there is a compelling case that diversity is a structuring element for social cohesion and peace between peoples. In turn, it limits the ability of the cultural sector – which accounts for 3.1% of global GDP and 6.2% of all employment - to drive sustainable economic growth in developing countries.

Unprecedented collapse in income and employment in the sector

UNESCO estimates that 10 million jobs were lost in the creative industries in 2020 alone because of the pandemic. It has also calculated that the global Gross Value Added in the cultural and creative industries contracted by US$750bn in 2020. In countries for which data is available, the revenue of the cultural and creative industries decreased by between 20% and 40%.

Public expenditure worldwide in the creative industries declined in the years preceding the COVID-19 pandemic which in turn led to an unprecedented collapse in income and employment in the sector, magnifying the already precarious working conditions of many artists and cultural professionals around the globe.

The social security net for artists in many countries was already inadequate, however the pandemic has exposed just how vulnerable workers in the cultural and creative sectors are.

"A basic paradox has emerged, whereby people's global access to, and reliance on, cultural content has increased, however, at the same time, those who produce arts and culture find it increasingly difficult to work" said Ernesto Ottone R., UNESCO's Assistant Director-General for Culture.

Bring protection of cultural workers in line with that of the general workforce

"We need to rethink how we build a sustainable and inclusive working environment for cultural and artistic professionals who play a vital role for society, the world over."

The report calls on governments to ensure economic and social protection for artists and cultural professionals, which people working in many other sectors already benefit from. It proposes, for example, to consider establishing a minimum wage in cultural employment, as well as better pension and sick pay plans for freelancers.

And whilst it recognises the opportunities from the accelerated shift of cultural content and performances towards digital platforms, this report highlights the urgent need to design fairer remuneration systems for artists for content consumed online. Digital revenues do not make up for the sharp drop in income caused by the lack of live events.