NEW YORK/NAIROBI, 11 September 2000 -- The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), at a gala awards ceremony held this evening in New York City, announced the prizewinners in the UNEP International Photographic Competition on the Environment 1999-2000 -- "Focus on Your World". 

The Competition, the third such contest organized by UNEP and sponsored by Canon Inc., was held from June 1999 to April 2000 and encouraged people, young and old alike, to submit photographs reflecting the environmental health of the planet, and the interlinkages between the physical,  social, economic and spiritual aspects of life on Earth.

A total of 16,650 entries from 7,877 people in 160 countries and states were submitted. A panel of judges made up of photographers from around the world awarded gold, silver and bronze prizes in adult and junior divisions, together with four special prizes and 110 honorary mentions.  All the major prizewinners, who hail from Germany, Brazil, China and Canada, were able to receive their awards in person.

In a message to the ceremony, UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer said:  "As we work towards a sustainable future, we need a common language that can instantly touch hearts and minds.  Photography is that common language, a creative act that gives colour, expression and a human dimension to our scientific findings. When used to convey environmental messages, photography can provoke thought, leading to positive action and change. ... On behalf of UNEP, I congratulate the winners and all those who took part in the world's biggest photo competition. May they and all of you, remain 'focused on our world'."

The Gold Prize in the Adult Division has been awarded to Mr. Hartmut Schwarzbach of Germany for a portfolio of three photographs of children who live in Manila's slums, entitled "Floating Kids at Manila Bay".  The photos were highly regarded by all of the judges for its sensitive portrayal of the Philippine city's various urban environmental problems.  Mr. Schwarzbach is a repeat winner, having won a Bronze Prize in a previous competition.  In accepting the award, he said that he hoped "people will become more aware of the problematic situation of the living environment in megacities and realize that environment consists of both humankind and nature together and for each other". 

The Gold Prize in the Junior Division has gone to Miss Miriam Koehler, also of Germany, for her entry "Artificial Nature".  The Canon Special Prize was awarded to Mr. Luis Veiga of Brazil; the UNEP Executive Director's Special Prize was awarded to Mr. Au Chin Ki of China; the International Photographic Council Scholarship was awarded to Mr. Wang Xun, also of China; and the newly-introduced Digital Camera Special Prize was  awarded to Mr. Claudio Bacinello of Canada.

The gold, silver and bronze prize-winners in the adult and junior divisions are each to receive prize money, commemorative certificates and supplementary prizes of Canon products. The gold prize- winners in the adult and junior divisions will receive US$20,000 and US$2,000, respectively.

The President and C.E.O. of Canon Inc., Mr. Fujio Mitarai, was on hand to present several of the awards, commenting that "The 21st century is often called the century of the environment.  Through its photographs that focus on the present and future of our earth, we believe that this contest has been an important way to raise interest in environmental issues.  Photography is a universal language. We are confident that these photographs will touch the hearts of people everywhere and convey our hopes for the global environment."

Dignitaries in attendance at the opening ceremony included Mr. Kensaku Hogen, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Public Information and Communications, who made welcoming remarks. In addition, members of the diplomatic community and other special guests, including actor Jason Raize , "Simba" in the Broadway hit "The Lion King" were able to join the assembled guests.

The 124 prize-winning photographs will begin their international touring after the 12-22 September exhibition at New York's Park Avenue Atrium.  The exhibition will then be on display in a number of countries around the world, with the Japanese leg of the tour scheduled to be staged in  okohama from 7 to 22 October.   The exhibition will then move on to Paris, where it is scheduled to be held at Le Carrousel du Louvre from 26 October to 10 November.  Other exhibitions in major cities and at the United Nations Headquarters are in their planning stages.  Additional information on this subject will be posted on the Competition's website -- www.unep-photo.com.

The Competition has been supported by the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN/DPI), the Joint United Nations Information Committee (JUNIC) and the International Photographic Council (IPC), as well as by Japan Airlines, the National Geographic Society, TIME and Television Trust for the Environment.

All winning images can be viewed at http://www.oneworld.net/media/gallery/unep/.  Those media and all others based in North America who are interested in obtaining the images for commercial use must contact:   Dexter Lane, at Peter Arnold Inc., New York, tel: 1-212-481-1190, fax: 1-212-481-3409, e-mail: peterarnold@earthlink.net.  Outside the region, please contact:  Still Pictures, England, tel: 44-20-8858-8307, fax: 44-20-8858-2049, e-mail: info@stillpictures.com

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New York Exhibit Information:  Park Avenue Atrium Lobby, 237 Park Avenue (between 45th & 46th St.), with an entrance also on Lexington Avenue.  The exhibition will be held from Tuesday, 12 September, through Friday, 22 September, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (closed on weekends).  There is no admission charge.

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For more information, please contact: Jim Sniffen, UNEP Information Officer, New York, tel: 1-212-963-8094/8210, fax: 1-212-963-7341, e-mail: info@nyo.unep.org; Tore Brevik, UNEP Spokesman, Nairobi, tel: 254-2-62-3292, fax: 254-2-62-3692, e-mail: cpiinfo@unep.org; or Steve Jackson, UNEP Audio-Visual Officer, Nairobi, tel: 254-2-62-3332, fax: 254-2-62-3927, e-mail: photocomp@unep.org