PRESS BRIEFING ON UN CORRESPONDENTS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL CARTOON AWARD

Press Briefing

PRESS BRIEFING ON UN CORRESPONDENTS ASSOCIATION POLITICAL CARTOON AWARD

Entries from 208 countries had been received for the 2000 United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA)/Ranan Lurie Political Cartoon Award, Mr. Lurie told correspondents during an UNCA press briefing this morning at Headquarters.

Shashi Tharoor, Director of Communications and Special Projects in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, introducing Mr. Ranan Lurie, said the award, introduced about a year ago, was for the best political cartoons on United Nations themes. The judges represented a wide range of disciplines and professions, from United Nations staff and permanent representatives to such eminent writers as Eli Wiessel and Norman Mailer, as well as others. The judges had considered contributions from a large number of Member States. During the Annual Ball of UNCA, the Secretary-General handed the $10,000 first prize for the 2000 UNCA/Rana Lurie Political Cartoon Award to the winning cartoonist, Peter Schrank, The Independent on Sunday.

Mr. Ranan Lurie said the United Nations Writers and Artists Group, managed by Hans Ganitschek, had approached him and the Secretary-General to suggest the award. At the time, he had told the Secretary-General that he was very honored to be asked, so much so that it might be more appropriate for him to have died first. The Secretary-General paused a long time, so long that he had been afraid he might take him up on that offer.

He had received entries from 208 countries he said, such as Chad, Ethiopia, and East Timor. Many African States participated and an unusual number of cartoons had come from two areas: the countries of the former Soviet Union; and Iran. There might be two reasons for so many Iranian entries, he said. First the Iranian people were craving to express themselves. Second, Iran's UNCA representatives had been very effective. Whatever the reason was, a 17-year old Iranian had won the second prize of $5000.

For the 2001 award, he expected much more than 208 entries, which meant that, as any submitted cartoon had to be printed first, the spirit of the United Nations would be exposed through excellent cartoons worldwide.

Mr. Tharoor announced that copies of the prize-winning cartoons would be made available at the noon briefing and could be reprinted without permission, provided it was made clear that they were the winning cartoons of the 2000 UNCA/Ranan Lurie Political Cartoon Award.

More information about the UNCA/Rana Lurie Political Cartoon Award, including entry form, can be found at www.lurieunaward.com.

Prize Winners

-- First Prize ($10,000): Peter Schrank (London, United Kingdom) from The Independent on Sunday; -- Second Prize ($5,000): Sheil Danesh Eshraghi (Tehran, Iran); -- Third Prize ($3,000): Jim Morin (Miami, United States) from The Miami Herald. * *** *