New York, NY—Imaging industry executives, professional photographers and United Nations dignitaries joined together to celebrate the UN’s 70th anniversary and IPC Hall of Fame Award at the International Photographic Council’s luncheon on May 14, 2015 at the UN.
The IPC Hall of Fame Award, which recognizes exceptional leadership and contribution to the imaging industry, was awarded to Shigetaka Komori, chairman and CEO, Fujifilm Holdings Corporation. The award acknowledges Komori’s success in leading the management reform and dynamic transformation of Fujifilm by leveraging core technologies to expand the range of business.
The event began with John Segall, IPC vice president and the president of Lifetouch, welcoming the crowd, which included industry professionals from Japan, Germany, Norway and Dubai, UAE.
Cristina Gallach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, delivered the keynote address. Gallach talked about this “milestone in our collective history” and the crucial moment we are facing for global action on sustainable development and climate change.
“I believe that the best way to do that is to inform, engage the people,” said Gallach. “We have to tell stories and as a big believer of the impact of the strong visual, I am convinced that photos are the best way to tell stories. Here, we all have an important role to play. Through your comrades, through the images you capture, you help us convey to the world the messages of the United Nations.”
Gallach announced that in four months there will be the largest gathering of world leaders to date for a summit where an agreement on sustainable development goals is widely expected. These goals “will determine the global course of action to end poverty, promote prosperity and protect the environment,” added Gallach.
During the summit, an IPC and Lifetouch sponsored UN photo exhibition, We the Peoples, showcasing seven decades of photography, will be on display for the more than 160 heads of state. It will then be opened to the public on October 24, 2015 on UN Day. The photo exhibition was previously displayed at photokina, and in Japan and Pakistan.
Gallach closed by thanking the International Photographic Council for its support of the United Nation’s mission and goals and by paying tribute to professional photographers who “risk their lives so that people are informed, leaders are moved, and action is taken.”
Julie Bauer, president of consumer electronics for Panasonic Corporation of North America, joined the celebration through a first-ever virtual presentation from Japan. Bauer opened with a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the UN’s most respected ambassadors and a woman she greatly admires: “We must be able to show people that democracy is not just about words, but action.”
“Panasonic is proud to support the mission of the IPC in promoting photography as a communication media that can have a meaningful impact on the betterment of the world,” said Bauer. “Panasonic views the global advancement of imaging technology from a business perspective, doing our part to provide new ways for humans to interact, communicate, share, improve lives in a way that helps all of those involved in the occupation of photography to contribute to society in new ways.”
Bauer further noted, “As a camera manufacturer, we cannot and do not want to control what is captured. But we do know that the hardware we are marketing and developing allows millions to see the beauty of this world as well as the areas that require specific attention in order to better the world. Those areas can include such pressing issues as hunger, poverty and war.”
Following Bauer, Manny Almeida, senior vice president/general manager, Imaging and Electronic Imaging Divisions, Fujifilm North America Corporation, accepted the IPC Hall of Fame Award on behalf of Shigetaka Komori, who was unable to attend.
Almeida shared a letter from Komori: “[O]n this anniversary, it is important to remember that beyond its original charter of international peace and security, the UN promotes human rights, fosters social and economic development, as well as the protection of the environment in providing humanitarian aid in cases of famine, natural disaster and armed conflict.”
In talking about the challenge to rebuild Fujifilm beyond their photographic heritage, Komori wrote, “The courage to change the enterprise was not only the best choice, but the only choice.”
Also at the event, James Chung, IPC president, bestowed a service award to IPC board member Manny Parks of Pro Image for his years of dedicated service to the organization.
The International Photographic Council (IPC) is a multinational, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization (NGO) of the United Nations, composed of representatives from every major sector of the photographic industry. Founded in 1974, IPC is dedicated to increasing worldwide recognition of photography as a universal means of communication. IPC’s motto is “Peace Through Understanding, Understanding Through Photography, the Universal Language.” ipc-un-ngo.org
