Culture, in all its multiple forms, is essential to address global challenges, through its role in economic growth, in human development, as a storehouse of environmental knowledge, and as a symbolic force to bring stability and meaning to communities. Culturally embedded livelihood practices help retain local knowledge and generate employment while enabling local economic development. Aditionally, culture is a powerful global economic engine generating jobs and income with a value of US$1.3 trillion in 2005. Global cultural industries account for more than 7% of global GDP
