Note to Correspondents

Exhibition Opens at United Nations to Mark International Day

 

For Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action

 

As landmines and explosive remnants of war continue to impact the lives of thousands of people each year in more than 70 countries, this year’s commemoration of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is focused on the needs of the ever-growing number of victims and survivors, while celebrating the vigorous movement towards the United Nations vision of a world free from the threat of landmines and explosive remnants of war.

To mark the International Day, a photo and art exhibition entitled “Impact!” will open with a formal ceremony and reception in the North East Gallery of the Visitors’ Lobby today at 6 p.m.  The exhibition features the work of Cambodian artists, some being landmine survivors, as well as photographs taken by the renowned Venezuelan photographer Kike Arnal and the distinguished Slovenian photographer Arne Hodalič.

With more than 5,000 new casualties from mines, explosive remnants of war and victim-activated improvised explosive devices recorded in 2008, the show displays not only the cruelty of these weapons, but also the strength and dignity of survivors and communities surrounded by them.

Mr. Arnal’s work explores the impact of cluster munitions on the lives of individuals in Lebanon, while Mr. Hodalič, who recently returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has documented the tireless work of the United Nations Mine Action Team.  Their images carry a powerful message:  landmines have no place in any civilized society.

The exhibition will be opened by Alain Le Roy, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, with the participation of Eric Falt, Director of the Outreach Division of the Department of Public Information; Dmitry Titov, Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions; and Max Kerley, Director of the United Nations Mine Action Service.  A representative of the Permanent Mission of Cambodia to the United Nations will also take part in the inauguration, and Verve singer/songwriter Lucy Woodward will perform.

For background information, visit the United Nations Mine Action Team’s website at www.mineaction.org.  In New York, contact Aaron Buckley, United Nations Mine Action Service, at tel.:  1 212 963 4632, e-mail:  buckleya@un.org.

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

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For information media • not an official record