Cultural economy brings regional benefits    ​Young people at a book fair in Hanoi (Photo: VNA) Hanoi - Cultural products generate 3 percent of global GDP and 29.5 million jobs per year, according to participants of a regional conference on culture and global integration in Hanoi on October 25.   Opening the conference, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Dang Thi Bich Lien lauded the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF) for organising the event.  According to her, Vietnam issued a resolution on cultural development in 2014, which mentioned building a morally strong cultural market and narrowing the gap in consumption of cultural products.  In September 2016, a cultural economics development strategy for 2016-2020 was released with roadmaps to boost the growth of various sectors, including advertising, architecture, games, film and fashion.  OIF Director for Asia-Pacific Eric Normand Thibeault said his agency is working to stimulate cooperation with OIF members, particularly Vietnam.  The event offers opportunities for policy makers and cultural experts to exchange experience in the business in their respective countries.  It runs through October 27 with further discussion on global challenges to cultural economics and UNESCO conventions on the protection of cultural diversity, among other topics.-VNA