PARALLEL Photo Exhibition

April 18, 2012

The photo exhibition "Parallel" was held at the Vienna International Centre from 24t^h to 25^th April 2012. The exhibition was organized within the framework of the European Union (EU) and UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Project “Support to Prison Reform in the Kyrgyz Republic”.

The exhibition was dedicated to the 21st Session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, chaired by Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol of Thailand. Over 800 people attended from 111 different countries and 38 NGOs. Its main theme was violence against migrants, migrant workers and their families, but it also addressed issues of State oversight in civilian private security services, countering maritime piracy and the treatment of prisoners amongst other issues.

The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Yury Fedotov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director-General of the United Nations Office in Vienna (UNOV),  Gyorgyi Martin Zanathy, the Head of Delegation of the European Union to the International Organizations in Vienna and Lidia Imanalieva, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United Nations (Vienna).

Three photographers: Alessandro Scotti, member of the International Association of Photographers and former Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (Italy); Alimjan Zhorobaev (Kyrgyzstan) and Maxim Shubovich (Kyrgyzstan) presented their photographic work. Visitors gained an insight into the ordinary life of prisoners as well as prison staff in the penitentiary facilities of Kyrgyzstan. In 2011, these three photographers visited the majority of prisons in different areas of Kyrgyzstan. Everyday life in prisons was the focus of the photo exhibition. The photographers took more than 600 images. A joint commission composed of representatives from the Prison Service of the Kyrgyz Republic and the project staff selected 42 images which were presented at the exhibition. The publication of the most powerful photos is also foreseen in the framework of the project.

The overall objective of the European Union (EU) and UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Project "Support to prison reform in the Kyrgyz Republic” is to strengthen the rule of law by supporting further reform of the prison service. The project is made up of the mutually reinforcing key components which include reform of the legal/normative basis for prison reform, building the management capacity of the prison service, improving sanitary conditions in prisons, developing prison policies to create income generating activities for prisoners, to promote social reintegration of prisoners and developing policies and strategies for prison reform.

The same exhibition "Parallel" will be officially opened in American University for Central Asia on April 26, 2012 at 12:00 am (205, Abdimomunova str.) 

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