Auckland War Memorial Museum. Source: AWMM.
Auckland War Memorial Museum first in the world to light up for United Nations
This Saturday 24 October, Auckland Museum will be the very first international landmark to light up brilliant blue to commemorate UN Day and the 70th anniversary of the United Nations.
Auckland War Memorial Museum is proud to lead the way as more than 200 iconic monuments, buildings, museums, bridges and other landmarks in nearly 60 countries around the world light up UN blue.
World famous landmarks from Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, to the Empire State Building in New York, will be lit blue. Other participants include the Great Wall of China, Russia’s Hermitage Museum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, and Central Hall Westminster in the United Kingdom among many others.
“As the entire world turns UN Blue on United Nations Day, 24 October, we are delighted that the iconic heritage landmark of Auckland War Memorial Museum in New Zealand will be the very first link in the global chain of support” says Ms. Cristina Gallach, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, United Nations.
Auckland Museum Director Roy Clare says that “as a distinctive Auckland building and Auckland’s war memorial, we are delighted to light up blue and acknowledge the achievements of the UN and their dedication towards world peace”
This global event will be covered extensively on social media using the hashtag #UNBlue in addition to the hashtag #UN70 and shared with the UN’s millions of followers on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Weibo, Flickr and more.
Keen photographers and active social media users are encouraged to head out on Saturday evening to capture their best shot of the Museum lit up in UN Blue. The building will go blue at dusk, around 7pm. New Zealand will be the first to start the wave of social media to support the UN’s international event.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that “by turning the world UN Blue for a day, we can light the way to a better tomorrow”
Images of Auckland Museum lit up blue will be available for media to download via www.gettyimages.co.nz
Search: Auckland Museum UN 70th Anniversary celebration
Photos and videos of UN Blue landmarks around the world will be available to media outlets via Flickr (http://j.mp/UNBluePhotos) and UNIFEED (http://www.unmultimedia.org/tv/unifeed/).
More information on “Turn the World UN Blue” and other UN70 global activities and celebrations can be found at www.un.org/un70
