Transforming the world

The World Press Photo Awards shine a light on the lives of people around the world. They show real people’s lives, and often they reveal people living through their most difficult moments. They sometimes inspire us to act or change the way we behave and sometimes they tell us about ourselves; but every picture makes you think.

While some of the photographs depict everyday life, many of the photographs selected for the 2017 World Pres Photo Awards show some of the most difficult challenges facing the world today: poverty, hunger, the treatment of refugees, violence, ill health, environmental damage and discrimination.

Every day around the world, people working for and with the United Nations see the same challenges and problems, and we are proud that we are trying to create a world that is happier, healthier, safer and fairer.

We set out 17 Sustainable Development Goals for the whole world to tackle by 2030. From ending poverty to promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, these goals drive everything the United Nations does. They are what we are trying to achieve every single day, in partnership with our member states and other organisations around the world.

Every day in Pakistan and all over the world, we are working directly with hungry and sick children, with women suffering abuse, with families living in refugee camps and in areas hit by environment damage. These situations are always complicated and challenging, but every single one is important.

These photographs have brought to the world images of people that are not always seen, and in many cases areas the United Nations is quietly working in to make a difference. They show people that the United Nations is working with and for who need help so that they can build a better life for themselves, for their families and for their countries. But most of all these photographs show the breadth and diversity of humanity. They are mirror to the world we live in, and it shows why we are aiming to transform the world by 2030.

The exhibition was held on 6-31 March 2018 at Pakistan national Council of Arts (PNCA) G-5/1, Islamabad