Note to Correspondents

CHILDREN ARTISTS JOIN FORCES WITH UNITED NATIONS TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

An exhibit of children’s paintings on climate change opens in the Main Gallery of the Visitors’ Lobby on Thursday, 23 October, at 12:30 p.m. as part of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) “Paint for the Planet” event.

The exhibit features a selection of stand-out entries chosen from around 200,000 entries from UNEP’s International Children’s Painting Competition.  This is the first time the original artwork has ever been displayed.  Showcasing children’s fears and hopes for the planet, the paintings are a powerful plea from children for leadership on climate change before it is too late.

Six of the young artists -- from Burundi, Colombia, Malta, United Kingdom and the United States -- will be at the exhibit opening to share their message for the planet with decision makers, corporate leaders and the media.

On 25 October, a selection of paintings will be auctioned at the Harvard Club of New York City to raise emergency funds for children affected by climate-related disasters.  The proceeds of this auction will be donated to UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Paint for the Planet will be the launch pad for the “UNite to Combat Climate Change” campaign to support the call for a definitive agreement at the climate change talks in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December 2009.

This exhibition will remain open until 18 November, after which it will travel to various climate-related events and meetings around the world, culminating in Copenhagen.  Paint for the Planet is made possible through the generous support of Bayer, Nikon and the Foundation for Global Peace and Environment, along with UNEP’s curatorial partner, the Natural World Museum.

For media inquiries, contact:  Jim Sniffen, UNEP New York office, at e-mail:  james.sniffen@unep.org or tel.: 212 963 8094/8210; Anne-France White, UNEP Associate Information Officer, at e-mail:  anne-france.white@unep.org or mobile:  917 838 9985; or Gaurav Garg, UNICEF Communication Officer, at e-mail:  ggarg@unicef.org or tel.:  212 326 7665, mobile:  646 912 4294.

For more information on United Nations exhibitions, call Jan Arnesen at tel.:  212 963 8531, e-mail:  arnesen@un.org; or Liza Wichmann at tel.:  212 963 0089, e-mail:  wichmann@un.org.

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For information media • not an official record