Rt Hon Helen Clark
Prime Minister

5 June 2008 Embargoed until 11am Media Statement

PM announces international environment art award

Prime Minister Helen Clark today announced the winner of the prestigious International Children’s Painting Competition, held to celebrate World Environment Day each year.

“The winner is Gloria IP Tung, aged 14, from Hong Kong. She is in New Zealand with her parents to accept her award on World Environment Day,” Helen Clark said.

The award was presented to Gloria by Achim Steiner, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The exhibition of 64 paintings from children around the globe who entered the competition is at Te Papa from today until the end of August.

“I congratulate Gloria on her success in winning this international competition.

“The impact of climate change on our planet is one of the biggest challenges the international community faces. Through their art, children who entered this competition have given us fresh perspectives on the issue.

“One New Zealand student, Janelle Sanson from Levin, has a painting in the exhibition,” Helen Clark said.

The competition’s theme was ‘Climate Change: actions we can take now to reduce our negative impact’. It was backed jointly by UNEP, the Japan-based Foundation for Global Peace and Environment, and major corporates Bayer and Nikon.

Along with the top prize of $US2000 from UNEP, winners were selected from six regions of the world. The winners from Asia and the Pacific, West Asia, Africa, North America, and Latin America and the Caribbean are in Wellington for today’s ceremony. Each is receiving a prize of $US1000. The winner for Europe received their award earlier this year.

Since the competition began in 1991, more than 190,000 paintings from more than 100 countries have been entered in it.

Regional winners:
Asia and the Pacific – Adrian Lau Tsun Yin, Hong Kong, China.
West Asia – Colge Tejas Neel, United Arab Emirates.
Africa – Maria Kassabian, Nigeria.
North America – Cindy Liu, California, USA.
Latin America & Caribbean – Murilo Hideki Ashiguti, Brazil.

ENDS

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