2010 New York Definitives - International Year of Biodiversity

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2010 NEW YORK DEFINITIVES - INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF BIODIVERSITY

On 18 October 2010, the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) issued two New York definitives on the theme “International Year of Biodiversity”. These stamps complete the set of six definitives on the topic, as two Geneva and two Vienna definitives were issued in the April of  2010 on the same theme. A souvenir card was also issued. 

THE DESIGNS

The images selected are from the book Art Forms of Nature by German biologist/artist Ernst Heinrich Haeckel (1834-1919). 

15 cents A species of hummingbird (Trochilidae) 

$1.50 A species of liverwort (related to mosses) 

ABOUT THE ISSUE

The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. The purpose of the International Year is to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity and the consequence of its loss. 

“Humans are part of nature’s rich diversity and have the power to protect or destroy it,” the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), stated in summarizing the Year’s main message, with its focus on raising awareness to generate public pressure for action by the world’s decision makers. 

“Biodiversity, the variety of life on Earth, is essential to sustaining the living networks and systems that provide us all with health, wealth, food, fuel and the vital services our lives depend on. Human activity is causing the diversity of life on Earth to be lost at a greatly accelerated rate. These losses are irreversible, impoverish us all and damage the life support systems we rely on every day. But we can prevent them.” 

FIRST DAY CANCELLATION

On 18 October 2010, special first day hand-cancellations for the New York definitives on the theme “International Year of Biodiversity” were made available at United Nations Headquarters in New York; the Palais des Nations, Geneva; and the Vienna International Centre.

STAMP SPECIFICATIONS

The stamps, in denominations of 15 cents and $1.50, measure 32 mm horizontally by 26 mm vertically, perforation to perforation. Perforation size: 13. 

The horizontal sheets of 20 stamps have four marginal inscriptions, two in the left margin and two in the right margin. The marginal inscription consists of the United Nations emblem with the text “United” above the emblem and the text “Nations” below the emblem. One copyright symbol with the year 2010 appears in the bottom margin. 

PRINTING

Printed in offset by Lowe-Martin Group (Canada). 

THE DESIGNER

The designs were adapted as stamps by Deborah Halperin (U.S.A.).