Terms and Conditions

The following Terms and Conditions apply to the “Unite4Heritage” photo contest, organized by UNESCO. By participating in the contest, the candidates accept the full terms and conditions contained herein.

Presentation

This contest involves the submission of photographs that illustrate the significance of cultural heritage, accompanied by a short description of around 50 words explaining why this heritage is important for the photographer and what is his or her relationship with it (Entries).

The description may be submitted in any UN language (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese). The contest is free of charge.

Participation rules

1. Any individual from any country can take part. Members of UNESCO staff (either permanent or temporary, current or former), interns, or members of their immediate family, are not eligible to participate.

2. The Entries are intended to present and promote the principles of universality of cultural heritage. This can include sites, monuments, objects, artefacts, and cultural practices such as music, dance and other traditions.

3. There are no limits on the number of Entries that each Entrant can submit. The photo can be prepared using a mobile phone or camera or any other device. Any expenses incurred during submission are to be borne by the Participant.

4. There is no registration. Entry is determined by the posting of the photo with accompanying story to either Facebook or Instagram and tagging it with the #Unite4Heritage or #متحدون_مع_التراث hashtag. To be eligible, Facebook Entries MUST be set as ‘Public’ so that they are visible to UNESCO.

5. Entries must be submitted to Facebook or Instagram before 18 August 2015 at 17:00 Paris time (GMT + 1). Entries published after the established deadline shall not be considered. UNESCO shall not bear any responsibility for late or lost Entries due to network failure or any other reason.

6. Photos must be taken and the accompanying text written by the Entrant him or herself. Photos must have been taken in the last five years, i.e. after 18 June 2010. Photos can be colour-corrected or have filters applied, but should not be digitally manipulated in terms of content and context.

7. Entries shall comply with relevant applicable law. UNESCO reserves the right to exclude Entries that conflict with the principles of the UNESCO Constitution, that have obscene, violent, sexually explicit, sexist or racist content, or which violate any fundamental rights. The Entries must also not invade the rights of privacy of any person, living or deceased.

8. By submitting their Entries via Instagram and Facebook and using the #Unite4Heritage hashtag, the Entrants accept that these Entries may be used by UNESCO as part of its communication tools. By participating, the Entrants declare their agreement that UNESCO may republish their photos and text during and after the contest.

9. Entrants must possess the exclusive rights to Entries and are responsible for having obtained any necessary permission from the subjects shown on the Entries, in accordance with applicable law. UNESCO will not be responsible for any claims or complaints against infringement of rights or damages from third parties relating to the Entries, and the Entrant agrees to indemnify and hold UNESCO harmless in such cases.

10. After 18 July 2015, the top fifty (50) Entries will be contacted via the social media profile used to submit the Entry and asked to provide the following information:

• name of the photographer (Entrant);
• location of the photo;
• date of the photo;
• title; and
• full name of the person/people appearing on the photo, if applicable.

11. Shortlisted Entrants will also be asked to sign a Creative Commons license that allows others to use and distribute the photos and texts. The Entrants will retain the right to use their images for whatever purpose they wish, and be attributed for any usage by UNESCO or any another party. Users not agreeing to this license, or failing to respond within one week to UNESCO’s message, will be excluded from the contest. For more information about the license, visit:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/.

10. UNESCO will select the winning Entries on the basis of the following main criteria: (i) originality, (ii) technical and artistic quality, (iii) effectiveness of the entry as a tool to promote the value of cultural heritage, (iv) universality (capacity to be understood by diverse audiences throughout the world). The photo and text will be treated as equally important – a strong photo without accompanying text will not be considered.

11. The Entrant winning the grand prize will receive a Canon EOS 700D + EF-S 18-55mm IS STM camera (approximate price: 800 EUR), or a similar alternative. There will be no cash alternatives. The best twenty (20) entries will be compiled into a #Unite4Heritage photo gallery, which UNESCO reserves the right to use in a manner it deems suitable, and published in World Heritage Review magazine at time of UNESCO’s choosing.

12. UNESCO’s decision will be final. Any attempt by an Entrant to influence the result or subvert the contest will lead to immediate disqualification.

13. Participation in this contest implies accepting all of the present Terms and Conditions without exception. All related expenses incurred shall be borne solely by the Entrant. UNESCO reserves the right to rule on any issue(s) not covered by these Terms and Conditions. In the event that an Entrant should disagree with any decision made by UNESCO, that Entrant will have the right to withdraw his or her Entry.

14. UNESCO will inform the winners of the results of the challenge. If a winner is unable to be contacted after reasonable attempts have been made to do so, UNESCO reserves the right to select the next best Entry.

15. UNESCO reserves the right to modify or cancel the contest or any of the arrangements, schedules, plans or other items directly or indirectly related to the contest, at any time and for any reason.

16. Winners will be entirely responsible for any taxes or charges related to the receipt of any prize.

17. Nothing herein shall constitute or be considered to be a limitation upon or a waiver of the privileges and immunities of UNESCO.

For any further information, email contact@unite4heritage.org.