World Creativity and Innovation Day 2020: First celebrated in 2018, occasion aims to highlight role of creativity in achieving SDGs

The United Nations aims to raise awareness about the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development by celebrating the World Creativity and Innovation Day. Every year on 21 April, the UN celebrates World Creativity and Innovation Day.The website of World Creativity and Innovation Week says their mission is “to encourage people to use new ideas, make new decisions, and take the steps towards making the world better through creative thinking.”The UN through this day wants to highlight the importance of creativity and innovation to achieve sustainable development goals. This year, it has asked nations to come up with creative ideas to stop the spread of coronavirus.HistoryThe United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution to celebrate World Creativity and Innovation Day on 27 April, 2017. The UN designated 21 April as World Creativity and Innovation Day recognizing “citizens and organizations in more than 50 countries around the world already observe this day, which was first commemorated on 21 April, 2002.”The first World Creativity and Innovation Day was observed in 2018.SignificanceThe UN says that innovation should be done keeping in mind every section of the society. It lays emphasis on creativity and culture as it does not only yield economic value, but also have a significant non-monetary value that contributes to inclusive social development.It urges its member countries to make cultural and creativity industries part of their economic growth strategies. The UN says, “These industries are among the most dynamic sectors in the world economy, generating $2.25 billion in revenue and 29.5 million jobs worldwide.”According to the UN, innovation, creativity and mass entrepreneurship can give new impetus to economic growth and job creation.