The student photo contest titled “My View on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” was launched by UNIC Tokyo and called for international submissions. This is the first SDGs-themed photo contest among the 63 UNIC offices network around the world and the United Nations Department of Public Information (UN-DPI). It received 622 submissions from five different continents – 47 countries including Japan, Brazil, Peru and Afghanistan. After careful consideration, the judges decided to award one recipient the first prize, three recipients the second prize, one recipient the special prize and made ten honourable mentions.

Please click here to view the award winning photos. 

The first prize (Foreign Minister’s Prize) was awarded to “EL OJO DEL CONSUMO” (The Eye of the Consumer) by Mr. Nicolás Monteverde Bustamante from Peru. The work of art which shows a volunteer removing a disposed tyre from a polluted beach in Mr. Monteverde Bustamante’s home country of Peru, questions whether our consumption habits correspond with our conservation goals and strongly reflects the SDGs related to environmental protection and responsible consumption.

At the award ceremony held at Sophia University today, commemorating both UN Day and the 60th anniversary of Japan’s accession to the UN, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida awarded the Foreign Minister’s Prize to Mr. Monteverde Bustamante who travelled from Peru to receive it in person. The full list of prize winners are as follows:

◇ Prize Winners (name, nationality, school, title)

First Prize (Foreign Minister’s Prize)
・Nicolás Monteverde Bustamante (Peru, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas)
“EL OJO DEL CONSUMO” (The Eye of the Consumer)

Second Prize
・Nermesh Singh Gurdib Singh (Malaysia, International Medical University)
“SMILE OUT OF DISASTER”
・Hilmi Hariz Bin Mahabot (Malaysia, International Islamic University) “FLOOD AID”
・Yuya Yamakawa (Japan, University of Shizuoka) “Reunion”

Special Prize (Dior Woman-Empowerment Prize)
・Yasutomo Komori (Japan, Nippon Photography Institute)“FEMALE EDUCATION”

Honorable Mentions
・Yu Haitong (China, Tsinghua University) “WHITE TRANQUIL”
・Jhessia Almeida (Brazil, Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Ceará) “THE STRENGTH OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY”
・Ren Nishitani (Japan, Kwansei Gakuin University)
“ON HIS WAY HOME AFTER FETCHING WATER”
・ Yunian Pang (China, Kyoto University Graduate School) “DONATION FOOD”
・Karin Imai (Japan, Sophia University) “Little Seed of Life”
・Yohane Sato (Japan, Sophia University) “Cree’s Hope”
・Tomoki Nakamuta (Japan, Sophia University) “DEAR HUMAN”
・Shinichiro Toyama (Japan, Sophia University) “CRYSTAL”
・Nobuko Uesawa (Japan, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies)
“Indigenous Children in Bangladesh”
・Takahiro Yamazaki (Japan, The University of Tokyo Graduate School)
“Dhaka, Bangladesh in Full Swing”

◇ Panel of Judges
Leslie Kee (Photographer)
Natsuki Yasuda (Photo Journalist)
Hideko Kataoka (Photo Director, Newsweek Japan)
Rebecca Swift (Creative Director, Getty Images)
Hiroaki Mizushima (Professor, Sophia University Dept. of Journalism)
Kaoru Nemoto (Director, UNIC Tokyo)

～ Photo Exhibition ～

With the hope of encouraging reflection on the SDGs by a greater number of people, we are organising a photo exhibition to display the award winning photos (details below). This was made possible with the kind support of NIKON CORPORATION. We are looking forward to your visit.

Date : 26 October (Wed) ～ 18 November (Fri) 2016 Opening Hours: 9:00～17:00
※ 1 November: Exhibition closed
※ 24 October: The photos will also be on display in the foyer of the award ceremony venue

Venue: Sophia University Yotsuya Campus Central Library 1F Exhibition Hall
(10 min. walk from JR/ Subway Yotsuya Stn.)

※ Free entry, no registration required
(It is planned for the photo exhibition to later rotate to other locations such as other universities. If you are interested in hosting, please contact us.)

“My View on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” Student Photo Contest was hosted by United Nations Information Centre Tokyo and Sophia University between June-September 2016 in order to raise awareness of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). For details of the contest, please see the official website

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