NEW YORK, May 2000 -- As part of its efforts to link Earth Day (22 April) and World Environment Day (5 June) in a stream of activities to raise awareness of issues affecting the global environment, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is hosting an International Environmental Cartoon Exhibition in the Public Lobby at UN Headquarters for the month of May. 

The Exhibition, which formally opened with an awards reception on Tuesday evening, 2  May, has been put together by the Kyoto International Cartoon Congress (KICC) and Kyoto's Seika University, with support from several private sources in Japan.  A similar exhibition was staged at the 1997 Kyoto Climate Change Conference. 
 

The exhibition, the result of a contest conducted by KICC last year, includes the work of 70 artists from 25 countries, with over 200 pieces in the full exhibition. 

Three main prizes were awarded by the exhibition's organizers at the opening ceremony -- a "Prize of the United Nations", a "Prize of the UN Environment Programme" and a "Prize of the Kyoto International Cartoon Congress".  Winners of the first two prizes were in attendance:  Ms Svetlana Tiourina of the Netherlands (UN Prize) and Mr. Ross Thomson of the United Kingdom (UNEP Prize).  Mr. Rimantas Rolia of Lithuania, winner of the KICC Prize, was unable to attend the opening.  

Among guest speakers/presenters at the exhibition's opening will be the noted French cartoonist, Mose, who served as the exhibition's selection committee chairperson.  The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Public Information, Mr. Kensaku Hogen, was on hand to present the "UN Prize".   The Director of UNEP's Office in New York, Mr. Adnan Z. Amin, made welcoming remarks. 
 

For more information, please contact:  Jim Sniffen, UNEP Information Officer, at (212) 963-8094 or 8210, e-mail: uneprona@un.org; also see http://www.nyo.unep.org.