UNEP Awards Winners of Int'l Children's Painting Competition in China

United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Friday awarded winners of 2009 International Children's Painting Competition of China, in Nairobi, capital of Kenya.

16 first prize winners from China got awards from Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UNEP, and Luo Hong, president of Luohong Environmental Protection Foundation, and then visited UNEP headquarters in the suburbs of Nairobi.

The competition, whose theme is "Climate Change: Our Challenge" this year, received over 350,000 paintings from 2.3 million children all around the world, thus becoming the biggest children environmental education activity in the world.

The competition not only shows the artistic talent of Chinese children, but also heightens their awareness of environmental protection.

Soundbite: Zhang Yuhang, first prize winner "I want to tell children not to drop litter or harm animals through my painting."

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UNEP, said in his speech that the large number of the competitors indicated that young generation's awareness of environmental protection was increasing in China, adding that he hope children can learn to love our planet and protect the environment through this competition.

The competition in China is a part of UNEP International Children's Painting Competition.

(Xinhua News Agency July 25, 2009)