How ICCIRA Was Created?
The International Cultural and Creative Industries Regulatory Authority (ICCIRA) is a non-profit, multi selective and interactive think-tank, research, observatory, legislative and policy drafting and legal advisory organisation, currently relocating to Brussels, Belgium.
ICCIRA was founded by Panayiotis Neufelt, with the assistance of co-founder Christos-Laurence Neufelt-Boras, in March 2015 (official registration), receiving during its formation in kind support and resources from the two co-founding and promoting organisations, the International Independent and the Arts Council Greece.
On the occasion of the Third UNESCO World Forum on Culture and Cultural Industries “Culture, Creativity and Sustainable Development” (2-4 October 2014), Panayiotis Neufelt took part to the Forum representing the Arts Council Greece, and the International Independent Arts Council (member organisation of the International Independent consortium).
During his interventions and on the sides of the Forum, Panayiotis Neufelt expressed his concerns regarding the lack of international legal and regulatory consistency in the global cultural and creative industries. He also briefly analysed the incompleteness of the Arts, Cultural, Creative and Entertainment Industries ACCEI legal and regulatory system -ref. ICCIRA.
Last but not least, he presented paradigms of the poor legally binding intergovernmental agreements on the ACCEI trading systems, which have a negative impact on ACCEI developmental and sustainability structures, and financial well-being. At the forum, he also raised concerns about the role of the international monetary and banking systems in conjunction to the ACCEI developmental structures, policies and growth models offered.
The first article of UNESCO Florence 4th October Declaration (Post-2015 development agenda) is dedicated to the forthcoming Policy Agenda as presented: “1) Full integration of culture into sustainable development policies and strategies at the international, regional, national and local levels is to be based on international standard setting instruments that recognize fundamental principles of human rights and freedom of expression, cultural diversity, gender equality, environmental sustainability, and the openness and balance to other cultures and expressions of the world.”
In 2015, the UN was briefed (for the attention of UNESCO) regarding the formation of the International Cultural and Creative Industries Regulatory Authority. Shortly after, the organisation’s website was designed and gradually was established a social media network.
A development committee had worked patiently and thoroughly between 2015 and 2019, establishing communication links with several countries’ local cultural actors, artists and cultural policy and management professionals. With the assistance of the International Independent, an independent data source was developed and a database was created. ICCIRA’s founders gained a clear view regarding the local, national and international needs of the artists, the cultural actors, governmental bodies and ministries, the markets.
In the UNESCO Forum of Ministers of Culture, in Paris, 19 November 2019, (following the Florence Declaration, and a series of other resolutions and agreements) it was revealed the intention of UNESCO to encourage the 120 participant Ministers of Culture, who discussed the transversal role of culture in public policies for sustainable development during the 40th session of UNESCO’s General Conference and reposition, to accelerate and follow the current global changes, introducing the idea of a single, united and unified global cultural and creative industries legal system and regulatory framework with internationally accepted legal binding.
The 2014 UNESCO Florence 4th October Declaration and the 2019 Paris Forum of Ministers marked the beginning of ICCIRA’s independent developmental period, which was presented as planned during 2019 and 2020. For the founders of ICCIRA, it was clear that the organisation was entering to an advanced phase, where a call needed to be issued and a variety of professionals were to be approached and appointed, in order to cover the developmental needs of this nascent environment of the organisation according to its manifesto and constitution written by Panayiotis Neufelt.
To contribute to the growth and development, and to pave the way for the future of International Arts, Culture, Creative Industries and Entertainment Legislation and Regulatory Framework, the International Cultural and Creative Industries Regulatory Authority, needs to introduce a series of state of the art technological tools. Neufelt’s proposal brings innovative solution to the international legislature, focusing to the ACCEI legal and regulatory framework and environment, with the use of Artificial Intelligence AI in combination to Blockchain Technology.
At the end of 2019, the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic in China was announced by the World Health Organisation. ICCIRA’s founders and associates realised gradually that COVID-19 pandemic came to stay, causing grief to the world and delays to the growth and development of the organisation, and booming further economic crisis, social inequality and unrest accordingly.
Despite all odds, ICCIRA communicated with governments and specialists from more than 160 countries, inviting ministries of culture, embassies, institutions, universities, market players, cultural actors, specialists and artists to team up with ICCIRA and contribute to its efforts.
Between March and April 2020, the first Board Members were appointed, in the middle of the first COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. During this first period that ended 31 December 2020, the Manifesto and the initial Constitution draft, which was written between 2015 and 2020, was presented by the Chairman to the first appointed Board Members.
The Board Members introduced themselves and worked as a team to implement the organisation’s constitution. Slowly and gradually the newly appointed Board Members received updates and participated to the training efforts of the Founder and his team, while they got acquainted with ICCIRA’s constitution and procedures. Minor constitutional amendments occurred mainly of syntax nature. ICCIRA, since its formation in 2015, was destined to be relocated to Brussels, Belgium.
In 2021, ICCIRA started to expand to the African continent, South American, Central and South Asian countries and in the Middle East and the Mediterranean, with the support of its co-founding organisations the International Independent and the Arts Council Greece.
Mainly due to COVID-19 opposed restrictions, followed by financial awarenesses, it was decided to postpone the relocation of the headquarters to Brussels, rescheduling for 2022.
Amendments and Expectables (2022)
The 2022 amended constitution, which will include the 2021 resolutions and article changes, will be presented in January 2022.
The Agenda, 2022 Programmes Model, Contract Types, MoU Templates, Partners and Affiliate’s Programmes, Research Model, Financial Policy, New Members Policy, and Membership Fees for the year 2022 will be also announced in January 2022.
ICCIRA Founders
Founder: Panayiotis Neufelt
Co-Founder: Christos-Laurence Neufelt-Boras
Co-Founder: International Independent (also Data, Promotion and Public Relations 2015-2020)
Co-Founder: Arts Council Greece (also Administrative, Promotion 2015-2020)
First Year: Appointed Board Members by the Founders for the period March- December 2020 (considered as one year term).
Panayiotis Neufelt (Founder and Chairman)
Richard Ferdinand (Board Member, Article 18.2, end of term 31/12/2020)
Alushca Ritchie (Board Member, end of term 31/12/2020)
Siti Suriawati Isa (Board Member, end of term 31/12/2020)
Jean Pierre Moudjalou (Board Member, Article 18.2, end of term 31/12/2020)
Marco Valente (Board Member, end of term 31/12/2020)
Silvana Navaro Hoyos (Board Member, end of term 31/12/2020)
Husniddin Ato (Board Member, end of term 31/12/2020)
Javier Hernandez Acosta (Board Member, end of term 31/12/2020)
Analeigh Sanderson (Board Member, end of term 31/12/2020)
Second Year: Appointed Board Members by the Founders for the period January- December 2021 (one year term).
Panayiotis Neufelt (Founder and Chairman)
Marco Valente (Vice Chairman, end of term 31/12/2021, option 2022)
Waheeda AlHadhrami (General Secretary, end of term 31/12/2021, option 2022)
Alushca Ritchie (Board Member, end of term 31/12/2021, option 2022)
Siti Suriawati Isa (Board Member, end of term 31/12/2021, option 2022)
Silvana Navaro Hoyos (Board Member, end of term 31/12/2021)
Etien Koua (Board Member, end of term 31/12/2021)
Andrew Totman (Board Member, end of term 31/12/2021, option 2022)
Appointed for 2020-2022
Director of Administration: Olga Gratsaniti
Appointed November 2020, expected to end 31/12/2022
Treasurer:…
Chief Executive Officer:…
ICCIRA Executive Director:…
Will be announced in February 2022.
Third Year: Appointed Board Members by the Founders for the period January- December 2022 (one year term).
The names of the 2022 Board Members, Executive Directors and Ambassadors will be announced in February 2022.
ICCIRA’s Accredited Ambassadors and Ambassadresses Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for the year 2021 (alphabetical order).
AmbassadorsName / Surname / Country
Degaulle Amane Chad
Aliou Balde Senegal
Maria Bottalico Italy
Mario Chatzidamianos Greece
Francis Emane Gabon
Jacopo Gandin Italy
Olga Gratsaniti Greece
Prosper Guilavogui Guinea
Tswagare Namane South Africa
Josh Nyapimbi Zimbabwe
Lateef Oladimeji Salaam Nigeria
Lοuis Marie Pandzou Congo
Amadou Sow Senegal
Sachin Kumar Tiwary India
Yorgos Taxiarchopoulos Greece/Cyprus
Diaka Traoré Guinea
