clipped from: portal.unesco.org 
In the framework of the 2007 General Conference, UNESCO is organizing an exhibit from 16 October to 3 November at its Paris Headquarters to inaugurate 2008, the International Year of Planet Earth as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly. This observance is intended to make us reflect on contemporary challenges by considering the human consequences of climate change, earth systems, and natural disasters as regards sustainable development, the transmission of know-how and intercultural dialogue. This exhibit demonstrates the central role of culture in the continuity and survival of the civilizations of our planet.