For information only - not an official document

UNIS/INF/432
9 December 2011

UN Ad Competition on Water

VIENNA, 9 December (UN Information Service) - The United Nations launched a European Ad Competition called "The Future We Want - Drop by Drop", that brings together water, the green economy and Rio+20.

The Europe-wide competition is a part of the United Nations´ global campaign called the Future We Want in the lead up to Rio+20: the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, scheduled for 20-22 June 2012.

"To join the UN's global campaign for Rio+20 The Future We want, we looked carefully at the different issues and realized that water, and how much we waste it here in Europe, is a subject likely to touch everyone. And if creatives put their mind to it, it will have much more of an impact," says Afsané Bassir-Pour, Director of UNRIC Brussels.

The competition calls on professionals and non-professionals in 48 European countries to design a newspaper advertisement to raise awareness and inspire the European public to find green solutions to the management and conservation of water resources now, and for future generations.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, points out that investing just 0.16 per cent of global GDP in the water sector could reduce scarcity and rapidly halve the number of people without access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

"Galvanizing public support through the Drop by Drop ad campaign can be part of this paradigm shift and support UNEP's GreenUp! initiative in the run up to Rio+20," Dr. Steiner says.

In addition to the first prize, two other submissions will receive prizes for the youth category and public votes. The overall prize winner will be selected by a jury composed of advertising professionals and international experts.

The competition opens for submissions on 10 December 2011, International Human Rights Day, and ends at midnight 29 February 2012. The public vote winner will be announced on 22 March 2012, World Water Day; the Youth prize on 11 April 2012; and the overall winner will on 5 June 2012, World Environment Day.

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For further information visit the competition website: www.dropbydrop.eu

or please contact:

Afsane Bassir-Pour
Director UNRIC
Email: bassirpour[at]unric.org
Telephone: (+32-2) 788-847-0

For additional information about the UN Environment Programme, please contact:

James Morris
Information Officer
Email: james.morris[at]unep.org
Telephone: (+32-2) 213-3059