Note to Correspondents

THE SILK ROAD PROJECT, UNITED NATIONS MESSENGER OF PEACE YO-YO = MA

TO PERFORM ON OCCASION OF UNITED NATIONS DAY, 24 OCTOBER

A concert=20 by the Silk Road Project will mark this year=92s celebration of United = Nations=20 Day on Friday, 24 October 2008, at 7 p.m., in the General Assembly = Hall. =20 The United Nations Day Concert is organized each year to mark the = anniversary=20 of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter, on 24 October=20 1945.

The Silk Road = Project was=20 founded in 1998 by acclaimed cellist and United Nations Messenger of = Peace=20 Yo-Yo Ma, to promote creative cross-cultural exchange and learning = through the=20 arts. The project takes its inspiration from the historic Silk = Road=20 trading route, using it as a modern metaphor for multicultural and=20 interdisciplinary collaboration. The Silk Road Ensemble will = feature=20 internationally renowned musicians from Azerbaijan, Canada, China, = India,=20 Iran, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Lebanon, Spain, = Switzerland and=20 the United States.

The = Secretary-General of the=20 United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, the President = of the=20 General Assembly, Miguel d=92Escoto Brockmann, and the Permanent Representative of = China to=20 the United Nations, Zhang Yesui, will make = opening=20 remarks. The concert is organized by the United Nations = Department of=20 Public Information, and is sponsored by the Permanent Mission of=20 China.

The Silk Road = Project will hold=20 a breakfast briefing at 9 a.m. at United Nations Headquarters to = formally=20 announce the launch of its tenth anniversary season, on the occasion = of United=20 Nations Day. Remarks will highlight the collaborative = partnership=20 between the Silk Road Project and the United Nations, and their shared = commitment to international relations and cultural exchange. = Following=20 the press briefing, journalists will be invited to watch the start of = the=20 rehearsal. Prior registration for the briefing is = required.

To RSVP for the = briefing, please=20 contact Aoife Carlin at Ruder Finn at = tel.: =20 212 715 1572, or e-mail: carlina@ruderfinn.com. = United=20 Nations accredited correspondents can obtain concert tickets through = the Media=20 Accreditation and Liaison Unit in Room S-250A. For further = information,=20 please contact Graciela Hall at tel.: 212 963 2300, or e-mail: = dhlweb2@un.org.

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