UNIS/VIC/166
7 October 2008

"Sketching Human Rights"

Exhibit at the Vienna International Centre until 31 October 2008

VIENNA, 7 October (UN Information Service) - As part of the year-long celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna is pleased to present a highly acclaimed collection of cartoons which conveys the importance of upholding the human rights and fundamental freedoms set forth in the thirty articles of the Declaration. "Sketching Human Rights" is a collection of thought-provoking cartoons that illustrate the meaning of the UDHR and it is open for public viewing throughout the month of October in the Rotunda of the Vienna International Centre (VIC).

The cartoons have been contributed by leading cartoonists from more than 30 countries in all regions of the world. Some of the cartoons displayed here were shown previously at an exhibit in Vienna on the occasion of the World Conference on Human Rights, in 1993, while others have been created specifically for this exhibit. The exhibit, co-sponsored by the UN Department of Public Information and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, was on display at UN Headquarters in New York between 10 December 2007 and 17 January 2008 and has since travelled to various locations in Europe, including Brussels and the DPI NGO Conference in Paris. From Vienna, the exhibition will move on to Geneva in December.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is considered one of the first major achievements of the United Nations, and after 60 years remains a powerful instrument which continues to exert an enormous effect on people's lives all over the world. It is the foundation of international human rights law, the first universal statement on the basic principles of inalienable human rights, and a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations. On 10 December 2008 we celebrate 60 years of the Declaration's existence. On Human Rights Day 2007, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched a year-long UN system-wide advocacy campaign to mark this important milestone. The initiative celebrates the Declaration and the promise that has made this document so enduring: "Dignity and justice for all of us".

Media representatives, as well as NGOs and interested members of the public are invited to view the exhibition in the Rotunda of the VIC throughout the month of October. The cartoons can also be viewed as part of a guided tour.

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For further information, please contact:

Elisabeth Wächter
Chief, Visitors Service, UNIS Vienna
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-3348
Email: elisabeth.waechter@unvienna.org

To book a guided tour of the Vienna International Centre:

UNIS Visitors Service
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-3328
Email: tours@unvienna.org

For more information about 60 years UDHR, please see http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/udhr60/