Pakistani girl wins UN competition

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistan girl Eiza Abid has won United Nations Human Rights Office poster competition for children Friday.

The United Nations Human Rights Office announced the two winners of the contest to illustrate what freedom means to them. The competition was organized as part of a yearlong campaign by the office to mark 50th anniversary of two core human rights treaties the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Alexandria Slaven 11 from Samoa is winner of 5 to 11 age group with a picture depicting people holding hands and standing by a luxuriant coconut tree. Winner of the 12-18 age group is 15-year old Eiza Abid from Pakistan whose illustration uses both dark tones and bright colours to represent freedom of thought.

My painting personifies the darkness and confinement within a person’s life and once the person is set free from pressures and judgment of others, one can freely express their thoughts and imagination in their true colors, illustrating their unique vision and bright outlook, Eiza wrote.

Alexandria and Eiza’s designs which will be made into posters for use during the campaign were selected from the winners of local competitions. All the winning entries can be viewed online at the campaign website http 2covenants. ohchr.org. It is so important to have children celebrating 50th anniversary of the Human Rights Covenants through this poster competition Fabian Salvioli, chair of the Human Rights Committee said.

The committee monitors how states parties are implementing the international covenant on civil and political rights. For the covenants to continue to have meaning over the next 50 years, children must be aware of their rights and importance of the covenants to their lives and happiness, he said. Our thanks and congratulations to everyone who took part Waleed Sadi, chair of the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, said.

His committee monitors states parties implementation of the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights. We are proud of Eiza Abid’s achievement she succeeded with expressing the concept of freedom through positive and inspiring artwork, Vittorio Cammarota, director of the UN Information Centre in Pakistan, said. We will exhibit Eiza’s poster together with those from other 55 Pakistani children and young adults who participated in the competition in April in Islamabad.