“What UNESCO for the Future”

The Forum of Reflexion “What UNESCO for the future?” was launched by the Social and Human Sciences Sector of UNESCO on 18 November 2004, on the occasion of the Third Philosophy Day. It continued throughout 2005 as a cycle of open debates whose main objective was to stimulate creative and audacious thinking on the future direction of UNESCO among Permanent Delegations, National Commissions and the Secretariat. In inviting thinkers, philosophers, political leaders and experts from diverse parts of the world, the Forum aimed above all to stimulate our common reflexion and to provide food for thought through insightful, out-of-the box perspectives.

This new publication presents the addresses given in the course of this forum by sixteen people:

* Jacques Attali
* Robert Badinter
* Boutros Boutros-Ghali
* Souleymane Bachir Diagne
* Fatma Haddad-Chamakh
* Ping Huang
* Albert Jacquard
* Randolph Kent
* Yersu Kim
* Achille Mbembé
* Edgar Morin
* Hisashi Owada
* Miguel Rojas-Mix
* Carolina Rossetti Gallardo
* Ghassan Salamé
* Tu Weiming

“What UNESCO for the Future”

The Forum of Reflexion “What UNESCO for the future?” was launched by the Social and Human Sciences Sector of UNESCO on 18 November 2004, on the occasion of the Third Philosophy Day. It continued throughout 2005 as a cycle of open debates whose main objective was to stimulate creative and audacious thinking on the future direction of UNESCO among Permanent Delegations, National Commissions and the Secretariat. In inviting thinkers, philosophers, political leaders and experts from diverse parts of the world, the Forum aimed above all to stimulate our common reflexion and to provide food for thought through insightful, out-of-the box perspectives.

This new publication presents the addresses given in the course of this forum by sixteen people:

* Jacques Attali
* Robert Badinter
* Boutros Boutros-Ghali
* Souleymane Bachir Diagne
* Fatma Haddad-Chamakh
* Ping Huang
* Albert Jacquard
* Randolph Kent
* Yersu Kim
* Achille Mbembé
* Edgar Morin
* Hisashi Owada
* Miguel Rojas-Mix
* Carolina Rossetti Gallardo
* Ghassan Salamé
* Tu Weiming

UNESCO SEAL of Excellence for Handicrafts Products

Second Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, 2005
Copyright: UNESCO

The products of craftspeople, such as pottery and textiles, are increasingly recognized as embodying the cultural heritage of their makers, and the best examples are strikingly beautiful. With the advent of the Internet and eCommerce, those products increasingly are finding a global market. The ability to sell their handicrafts to consumers in the United States and Europe via the Internet is enabling many craftspeople in the developing nations to escape from poverty. Now UNESCO is giving them a hand!

The UNESCO SEAL is a “stamp of approval” that guarantees that a handicraft product or product line meets the highest standards of quality and has been produced with careful regard to cultural authenticity and environmental conservation.

Originally piloted in Southeast Asia in 2000-2003 in cooperation with the ASEAN Handicraft Promotion and Development Association (AHPADA), the Seal of Excellence has succeeded in raising the standards of South-East craft products, as well as in improving their marketability. The Seal of Excellence has been awarded to more than 70 South East Asian handicraft products.

In 2005-2006, the SEAL program has expanded into Central Asia with the Central Asian Crafts Support Association (CACSA) and the World Crafts Council Asia-Pacific Region (WCCAPR).

During 2006-2007, UNESCO plans to extend the SEAL of Excellence to: West Africa, East Africa, North Africa/Arab States, Central America and the Caribbean, and Central Europe.

UNESCO SEAL of Excellence for Handicrafts Products

Second Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, 2005
Copyright: UNESCO

The products of craftspeople, such as pottery and textiles, are increasingly recognized as embodying the cultural heritage of their makers, and the best examples are strikingly beautiful. With the advent of the Internet and eCommerce, those products increasingly are finding a global market. The ability to sell their handicrafts to consumers in the United States and Europe via the Internet is enabling many craftspeople in the developing nations to escape from poverty. Now UNESCO is giving them a hand!

The UNESCO SEAL is a “stamp of approval” that guarantees that a handicraft product or product line meets the highest standards of quality and has been produced with careful regard to cultural authenticity and environmental conservation.

Originally piloted in Southeast Asia in 2000-2003 in cooperation with the ASEAN Handicraft Promotion and Development Association (AHPADA), the Seal of Excellence has succeeded in raising the standards of South-East craft products, as well as in improving their marketability. The Seal of Excellence has been awarded to more than 70 South East Asian handicraft products.

In 2005-2006, the SEAL program has expanded into Central Asia with the Central Asian Crafts Support Association (CACSA) and the World Crafts Council Asia-Pacific Region (WCCAPR).

During 2006-2007, UNESCO plans to extend the SEAL of Excellence to: West Africa, East Africa, North Africa/Arab States, Central America and the Caribbean, and Central Europe.

Sixty States have already ratified the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage session has been rescheduled for November 18^th-19^th, 2006. In preparation for this event, an extraordinary session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the convention will be held on November 9^th, 2006 at UNESCO Headquarters. Six additional members will then be elected to the Committee. Mr. Mohammed Bedjaoui (Algeria), President of the General Assembly of the States Parties, and Mr. O. Faruk Logoglu (Turkey), the Assembly Rapporteur, were elected during the first ordinary session in June 2006. Sixty states have already ratified the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Intergovernmental Committee will thus, as of its first session in Algiers on 18 and 19 November 2006, consist of the maximum number of members as stipulated by the Convention.

Read more on:
*The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Speeches, Safeguarding, FAQ...
*The Intangible Cultural Heritage

© Photo: UNESCO/Michel Ravassard - Click here for full article

Sixty States have already ratified the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage session has been rescheduled for November 18^th-19^th, 2006. In preparation for this event, an extraordinary session of the General Assembly of the States Parties to the convention will be held on November 9^th, 2006 at UNESCO Headquarters. Six additional members will then be elected to the Committee. Mr. Mohammed Bedjaoui (Algeria), President of the General Assembly of the States Parties, and Mr. O. Faruk Logoglu (Turkey), the Assembly Rapporteur, were elected during the first ordinary session in June 2006. Sixty states have already ratified the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Intergovernmental Committee will thus, as of its first session in Algiers on 18 and 19 November 2006, consist of the maximum number of members as stipulated by the Convention.

Read more on:
*The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, Speeches, Safeguarding, FAQ...
*The Intangible Cultural Heritage

© Photo: UNESCO/Michel Ravassard - Click here for full article

UNESCO supports MTV's first film competition on HIV/AIDS prevention

"Within the framework of UNESCO’s Global Network of Young TV Producer’s on HIV and AIDS and as part of MTV International’s ongoing HIV and AIDS prevention campaign, Staying Alive, the fortyeightfest competition is a first-time event that gives 48 youths, mainly from developing countries, 48-hours to write, shoot, edit and deliver three-minute short films on HIV and AIDS grassroots efforts during the Toronto XVI International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2006) 14-16 August 2006."

"The fortyeightfest competition will be broken into eight teams of six filmmakers from all over the world, who are also youth delegates to AIDS 2006." Their short films will be compiled into a 30-minute documentary that will showcase the films as well as behind-the-scenes footage as the young filmmakers progress through their many stages of film production.

"On August 17, all of the shorts will be screened by the contestants, their mentors and AIDS 2006 delegates." The fortyeightfest short films and documentary will be made available for broadcast across MTV’s network of TV channels, broadband services and websites as well as for rights-free and cost-free worldwide broadcast to third party broadcasters in September 2006.

"Fortyeightfest is supported by a consortium of partners and donors including the Canadian International Development Agency, UNAIDS, UNFPA, UNESCO and The Kaiser Family Foundation. The event is hosted by MTV in Canada."

For full article, please refer to: UNESCO supports MTV’s first multi-platform film competition on HIV and AIDS prevention

Read more about UNESCO's Global Network of Young TV Producers on HIV/AIDS:

* Launching Africadoc 2005
* Meeting of Young TV Producers on HIV/AIDS in South Africa
* Young TV producers network in Asia on HIV/AIDS