Visitors to the Geneva UN70 Open Day discovered an art installation celebrating rural products and their promotion by UNCTAD.
UNCTAD's work to support rural communities in the world's poorest countries by helping them bring unique products to new markets was celebrated with the display of an art installation at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on 24 October.
The artwork, called Villaggio Terra ("Village Earth"), was created by Maurizio Cancelli, artist and founder of an agrarian community in Umbria, Italy.
It was presented as part of the United Nations 70th anniversary by the Ambassador of the Republic of Benin to the UN Office in Geneva, Laourou Eloi, in the company of the artist and several UNCTAD officials.
The work celebrates rural products and Mr. Cancelli supplied several examples of these in the form of cheese and wine brought to Geneva from Italy for the UN event.
UNCTAD's work in support of rural products through geographical indications has resulted in, for example, the better promotion of kampot pepper from Kampot, Cambodia, bringing significant economic gains for its farmers. This success story was selected as a positive example of the value of marketing products by linking them to the regions they come from at the World General Assembly of geographical indications held at the Milan EXPO, Italy, on 12 October.
Rural products from other countries categorized as "least developed" could achieve similar results, UNCTAD officials said.
The presentation of Villaggio Terra was a highlight of the UN70 event, which saw the Palais des Nation open its doors to 19,000 visitors.
Also in attendance were the Ambassador of the Republic of Chad to the UN Office in Geneva, Malloum Bamanga Abbas, the Ambassador of the West African Economic and Monetary Union to the UN Office in Geneva, Amadou Dieng, and the Deputy Permanent Representative of Italy to the World Trade Organization, Nico Frandi.
