UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Afghanistan Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Adela Raz Monday unveil a gift to the UN from the government of Afghanistan.

“Today truly concludes my work and provides the final legacy as the Ambassador and Representative of Afghanistan to the UN. I was pleased to make Afghanistan’s official gift to the UN possible – “the Unseen Afghanistan.” It is the only gift on display and the 1st since 1963 when a table with Lapis inlay was gifted, Raz tweeted.

The painting gift was unveiled at UN headquarter today.

“The gift is the culmination of a 2-year process. I sincerely thank my colleagues Afghan Mission UN for their tireless work to present the gift to Secretary-General António Guterres; and sincere gratitude to Omaid Sharifi, for his generosity to accept our request and make the painting.” Raz tweeted.

The artwork titled “the Unseen Afghanistan” was created by ArtLords [an activist artist group] based in Kabul.

“When walking through the hallways of the UN, one will now see this beautiful painting commemorating Afghanistan’s empathy, love, cultural heritage and transformation,” Raz said.

The calligraphy, a poem by Rumi, says “let’s not sew anything but love & friendship in this pure land.” She added.

For the first time, the United Nations headquarters in New York City is adorned with a large painting from Afghanistan. The ArtLords Institute in cooperation with the Embassy of Afghanistan in the United Nations presented the design of this painting six months ago and after approval and during the legal and diplomatic process, the artist in Kabul began to paint it.

This painting that represents values, identity; the present and future realities of Afghanistan are designed with modern and historical design and painted by young and experienced male and female painters of the art institution in Kabul for a month.

In the work of this painting, soil samples of 34 provinces of Afghanistan have been collected and used, and colors have been prepared and used in accordance with the natural landscapes, faces, and national identity of Afghanistan.

The painting is four meters long and two meters wide and is permanently installed and decorated in a special place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York as a symbol of Afghanistan’s national identity.

The inauguration ceremony took place on June 28, 2021, in New York in the presence of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Adela Raz Afghanistan envoy in UN, National and international diplomats, and head of the Art Institute, which for Afghanistan, the diplomatic community; Its art and culture are important and proud.

“I want to reassure you of our strong commitment to support Afghanistan. Our strong commitment to the ppl of Afghanistan. And to make sure that these trying times will lead to a new era, peace, prosperity, and human rights for the people of Afghanistan that are so dear to my heart,” said Guterres.