The United Nations’ “Shared Lives, Shared Future” photo exhibition was officially inaugurated in London on 17 January 2026 at Methodist Central Hall, as part of commemorations marking 80 years since the first United Nations General Assembly.
The exhibition was visited by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh, alongside UN Secretary-General António Guterres, President of the General Assembly Annalena Baerbock, and UK Attorney General Lord Hermer.
Conceived to mark the UN’s 80th anniversary, the exhibition highlights how the organisation impacts lives worldwide, bringing together over 200 stories. The London exhibition was supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and organised with the UN Regional Information Centre for Western Europe (UNRIC).
“The UK is delighted to bring the “Shared Lives, Shared Future” exhibition to London, which brings to life the real-world impact of the UN’s work. These human faces are a reminder of the enduring value of the UN’s mission, emphasising its pivotal role in tackling global problems which shape lives in the UK and all over the world,” said James Kariuki, Chargé d’Affaires at the UK Mission to the United Nations, New York.
The exhibition brings the UN closer to the public through human stories, from the international postal system to peace, rights, and sustainability.
“The exhibition’s purpose is to bridge the gap between the UN as an organisation and the people it serves, and in particular young people, as we know the power of photography and telling stories to reach vast audiences,” said Caroline Petit, Deputy Director of UNRIC, who guided the high-level tour of the exhibition.
Part of a global series, the exhibition has been displayed at UN Headquarters in New York, where it was opened by the Secretary-General, as well as in Lisbon, Warsaw, Ankara, and Canberra, and will soon open in Brussels. Further locations, including elsewhere within the UK, are planned for later this year.
The London display features 24 stories, including Katy Newnham, an underwater photographer from the UK and founder of Wastebuster. Speaking at the opening, she said:
“The exhibition we are celebrating today — “Shared Lives, Shared Future” — captures something essential: that the United Nations is not an idea in New York or Geneva. It is lived, every day, by people everywhere. My hope is that when people see my photograph, they do not just see a diver in the ocean — but a reminder that the choices we make above the surface shape everything below it.”
Photography’s power was further evident during the anniversary celebrations, when archival images and video footage from the first General Assembly in 1946 were shown to 2,000 attendees, a striking reminder that the UN was created after the Second World War to prevent future conflicts. And while global challenges have evolved over 80 years, the UN’s core mission endures: people everywhere continue to demand a just, sustainable, and peaceful world.
The UN@80 “Shared Lives, Shared Future” photo exhibition is on display at Methodist Central Hall until the evening of 19 January, before continuing its tour across the United Kingdom and internationally.
Read more about UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ keynote, here.
Read a longer interview with Katy Newnham, the UK submission to photo exhibition, here.
Explore the online exhibition here: UN@80 Shared Lives, Shared Future Photo Exhibition
This exhibit was organized by the UN Department of Global Communications, led by its 59 UN Information Centres (UNICs), together with the Permanent Missions of Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland. It was brought to London by the United Kingdom.