UNESCO selects 46 South Asian handicraft products for SEAL award

New Delhi, Oct 5 (UNI) An international panel of judges and experts in design, marketing and handicraft production gathered across four regions in Asia over the last few weeks to judge a record number of entries for this year's UNESCO Seal of Excellence in Handicrafts, known as SEAL.

The announcement of SEAL awarded products across all the regions will be published on the UNESCO Bangkok, Beijing, New Delhi and Almaty websites respectively.

Over 100 submissions were received from South Asia this year, and the judging panel spent one full day at the Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhavan in the national capital, examining a diverse range of craft, with entries ranging from traditional and contemporary woven textiles to natural fibres, ceramics, wood, stone, metal and paintings.

The panel selected 46 South Asian entries for awards. These SEAL products will be displayed at the Central Cottage Industries Emporium here during November 1-7 alongside a selection of Seal winners from previous years.

Central Cottage Industries Emporium has provided support to UNESCO and Crafts Council of India for this year's programme.

Established to encourage craftworkers to use traditional skills and materials, the SEAL looks to ensure the continuation of traditional knowledge and the preservation of cultural diversity in the region.

''By recognising such attributes in craftsmanship, the programme aims to set quality standards, raise international awareness and strengthen market demand for Asian handicraft products,'' UNESCO said today.

Submissions are reviewed against six key criteria, incorporating excellence, innovation, authenticity, marketability, eco-friendliness and social responsibility.

The programme was established in Southeast Asia in 2001 by UNESCO and the ASEAN Handicraft Promotion and Development Association (AHPADA).

It was later expanded to Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan) and South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) in 2004.

UNESCO Beijing has also successfully launched the SEAL programme in East Asia this year, with a strong number of entries from China, South Korea, Japan, Mongolia and North Korea.

UNI/SKS PK VC1422