NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL HOLDS TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL DAY WITH THE UNITED NATIONS

Press Release

NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS LIONS CLUBS INTERNATIONAL HOLDS TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL DAY WITH THE UNITED NATIONS

Lions Clubs International members from around the world will meet with the Secretary-General and permanent representatives of United Nations Member States today, as part of the twenty-first Annual Lions Day with the United Nations, sponsored by the Department of Public Information.

More than 600 Lions Clubs members are expected to attend a programme that will highlight humanitarian concerns, issues of peace and security, and the importance of volunteerism and service in furthering United Nations objectives throughout the world. Scheduled speakers include Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Permanent Representative of China and this month's President of the Security Council, Qin Huasun, the Permanent Representative of Thailand, Asda Jayanama, and the Permanent Representative of Italy and current President of the Economic and Social Council, Paolo Fulci. Lions Clubs International President Kajit Habanananda and the Lions International Peace Poster Contest Winner, Andre de Villiers, a 13-year old boy from South Africa, will also deliver remarks.

Lions Clubs International has had a history of support for the work of the United Nations since the Organization's inception in 1945, when it was one of the non-governmental organizations invited to assist in the drafting of the United Nations Charter in San Francisco. With aid for the blind and visually impaired as a primary mission, Lions Clubs International's SightFirst campaigns have improved the heath and well-being of people throughout the world. Its SightFirst project with the Chinese Government, the largest of its kind, aims to restore sight to 1.75 million blind and visually-impaired individuals throughout China within the next five years.

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