A United Nations sponsored seminal on creative industries will begin in Shanghai on Thursday, with UN Undersecretary General Anwarul Chowdhury in attendance.

The rapid development of creative industries in Shanghai has caught the eye of the international community including the United Nations, said Zhou Yiping, director of the UN Special Unit for South-South Cooperation.

Creative industries involve professionals who work on patents and copyrighted material such as advertisers, architects and intellectual property creators.

The seminar hopes to find new ways to develop the industry by exchanging ideas between the developed and developing countries, he said.

Delegates from the United Nations, China, France, Canada, Brazil, Japan and from the G77 which represents 77 developing countries are expected to attend the seminar.

Shanghai hopes to become one of the most vital creative industry centers in Asia in 10 to 15 years.

The seminar, co-sponsored by the UN Special Unit for South-South Cooperation and the Shanghai creative industry association, will end on Friday.

(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2005)