Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva attend “Earth Through Children’s Eyes" photo exhibition

Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva and head of Baku Media Center Arzu Aliyeva attended a photo exhibition held within the international photo competition "Earth Through Children’s Eyes" at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku.

The project was organized by the IDEA Public Union, supported by the COP29 Azerbaijan Operating Company, and initiated by photographer Reza Deghati and his “Reza Visual Academy.”

The event was addressed by Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva, Reza Deghati and UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan Vladanka Andreeva.

Certificates were presented to participating children, followed by a tour of the exhibition showcasing the winning and other notable photographs.

The competition, held from October 11 to November 2 for participants aged up to 18, aimed to raise awareness of climate issues and encourage youth to share their views on nature's beauty and the challenges of pollution and climate change.

The contest attracted participants from over 50 countries, including the U.S., Germany, UAE, China, Denmark, France, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, Norway and others, with themes centered on raising climate change awareness, emphasizing solutions, and fostering shared responsibility for protecting the planet.

Under the slogan "I love nature, I fear pollution," the contest saw submissions of around 3,000 photos. Fourteen finalists were awarded, with winners in the 10-18 age category from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Malta claiming first, second, and third places, respectively. Participants from Bangladesh, the UK, Iran, Ireland, and Myanmar received special recognition for their creative and thought-provoking images.

In the under-10 category, finalists from France, Iran, Switzerland, and Turkiye were honored for their outstanding entries, while a young photographer from Azerbaijan received a special award as the host country representative from the jury, Reza Visual Academy, Degati Agency and Webistan.