Paris 2024: UNESCO hosts The Associated Press at its Paris Headquarters

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PARIS, July 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — For the duration of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, The Associated Press will provide international media with broadcast facilities and live shots from the rooftop and garden of UNESCO’s Paris Headquarters.

“We are pleased to welcome The Associated Press to UNESCO’s Headquarters, an international landmark in Paris, and to facilitate the work of dozens of international media during the Olympic Games. This sports news hub will contribute to celebrating the Olympic values – inclusion, fairness, and respect – which are also those promoted by our Organization,” said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO.

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“The Associated Press is pleased to be working from UNESCO’s headquarters for the Paris Olympics, The iconic landmark and stunning backdrop of the Eiffel Tower will be of great interest to our international broadcast clients,” said AP President and CEO Daisy Veerasingham.

From July 22 to August 12, AP 360, the news agency’s production arm, will run multiple two live studios at UNESCO, hosting key global broadcasters; as well as providing journalists with workspaces and technical and logistical support for the duration of the Games. Over 100 journalists from all over the world are expected to work out of UNESCO and AP’s news hub.

About UNESCO Headquarters in Paris

The UNESCO building, with its iconic Y-shaped design, is a treasure of modern architecture and the fruit of a collaboration between three emblematic 20th Century architects: Bernard Zehrfuss (France), Marcel Breuer (Hungary), and Pier Luigi Nervi (Italy). Nicknamed the ‘three-pointed star’, the edifice stands on 72 columns of concrete piling and is a remarkable example of Brutalist architecture in Paris.

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Opposite the main building, with the Eiffel Tower as backdrop, the gardens and patios designed by Brazilian architect Burle Marx are dominated by the Symbolic Globe of Peace by Erik Reitzel and framed by the 194 flags of UNESCO’s Member States. UNESCO Headquarters is also home to a modern art collection of over 2000 works by artists including Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, Jean Arp, Karel Appel, Afro Basaldella, Roberto Matta, Henry Moore, Rufino Tamayo, Le Corbusier, and Tadao Ando.

Every year, UNESCO hosts hundreds of events at its headquarters, including conferences, cultural performances, film screenings and fashion shows. Since the start of 2024, more than 12,000 visitors have been able to discover this emblematic Parisian building during guided tours.

About UNESCO and Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games

As part of its mandate, UNESCO promotes the educational, cultural and social dimensions of sport and physical education. During the Games, UNESCO will also celebrate the values of sports with free exhibitions and events, open to visitors from around the world:

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‘Cultures at the Games!’ (24 June-8 September 2024)
In partnership with the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, this exhibition presents 140 photographs exploring cultural diversity and the values of sport taken during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games since 1924.

‘Sport Changes the Game’ (20 July-8 September 2024)
This exhibition explores sport’s essential contribution to our societies, in terms of peace-building, gender equality, inclusion, the fight against climate change and health. It features the testimonies of many sports figures who, through their commitment, have helped to change the world and overcome prejudice.

On 20 July, UNESCO will be the starting point for ‘Around the World in a Day’, an event organized by Paris 2024, foreign embassies and cultural institutes in Paris. More information can be found here.

Between the 20 July and the 8 September, a series of guided tours for groups entitled ‘Behind the Scenes at UNESCO – Special Olympic Games’ will be offered in French, English and 6 other languages. Visitors will be able to enjoy the unique architecture of UNESCO’s headquarters and the rich collection of artworks it houses. Please register here.

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Read UNESCO’s brochure on its role in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

About UNESCO
With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions. Its Director-General is Audrey Azoulay.

“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed” – UNESCO Constitution, 1945. 
More information: www.unesco.org

About AP
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day. Online: www.ap.org 

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