{{unreferenced, date=August 2012 The Seal of Excellence for Handicrafts is awarded to

handicraft A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...

products annually by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

. The programme operates separately in several Asian regions:

South East Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

and

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...

. Although initiated and generally coordinated by UNESCO, several partner NGOs implement the program at regional and national levels. Products are submitted annually between April and June and judging takes place in September by an international panel of experts selected by UNESCO. The stated objective of the Seal is to encourage artisans to produce handicrafts using traditional skills, patterns and themes in an innovative way, in order to ensure the continuity and sustainability of these traditions and skills. The program was established to promote the handicraft sector, which play an important economic and social role in

developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...

. The award aims to promote sustainable livelihoods as well as encourage the continued use of

traditional knowledge Traditional knowledge (TK), indigenous knowledge (IK) and local knowledge generally refer to knowledge systems embedded in the cultural traditions of regional, indigenous, or local communities. According to the World Intellectual Property Organ ...

. Products can be submitted in one of 7 categories: # Textiles # Natural Fibre # Ceramics # Wood # Stone # Metal # Other (including paintings)

Judging criteria

The products are judged according to a number of set criteria. The general criteria, which was updated for 2007, includes * Excellence: Demonstrated excellence and standard-setting quality in craftsmanship * Authenticity: Expression of cultural identity and traditional aesthetic values * Innovation: Innovative approach to design and production * Eco-friendliness: Respect for the environment in materials and production techniques * Marketability: The potential of the item in world markets Pre-conditions include considerations of

social responsibility Social responsibility is an ethical framework in which an individual is obligated to work and cooperate with other individuals and organizations for the benefit of the community that will inherit the world that individual leaves behind. Social ...

in product, and that the product classify as a

according to the definition that appears o
UNESCO Bangkok's Seal of Excellence website

History

The Seal was launched in

in 2001. In 2004 it expanded to

and

, and to

in 2006. Future expansion is planned for other regions of the world.

External links

UNESCO Bangkok: Seal of Excellence site
UNESCO Handicrafts