Note to Correspondents

Exhibit, Sculpture to CommemoratE Olympic Truce Resolution for 2010 Winter Games

The Government of Canada and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) are sponsoring a special event to launch an exhibit and to unveil a sculpture to take place at the Visitors Lobby on Tuesday, 20 October at 6:30 p.m. 

This special event is organized in conjunction with the presentation of the Olympic Truce Resolution for the 2010 Winter Games to the General Assembly, entitled "Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideals."

Statements at the launch will be made by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, John McNee, Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations, and John Furlong, VANOC Chief Executive Officer.

The sculpture that will be unveiled is a contemporary aboriginal art piece atop a plinth.  The box featured is an abstract reference to a traditional West Coast First Nations treasure box, while The Hand -- extended in friendship -- symbolizes peace.

Also taking place at the special launch is a send-off of the Olympic Torch in the spirit of peace and friendship amongst the international community.  Guests will also be invited to sign their names to a log, which will be incorporated in the Truce installations for permanent display at the Olympic site.

For more information on United Nations exhibitions, call Jan Arnesen at tel.: 1 212 963 8531, email: arnesen@un.org or Liza Wichmann at tel.: 1 212 963 0089, e-mail: wichmann@un.org.

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For information media • not an official record