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2011 was the 80th anniversary of the Bureau International des Expositions. On Jan 19, 2012, the BIE celebrates the anniversary for engaging in organizing World Expos and Internationals Expos at... +INFO

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BIE celebrates its 80th anniversary

2011 was the 80th anniversary of the Bureau International des Expositions. On Jan 19, 2012, the BIE celebrates the anniversary for engaging in organizing World Expos and Internationals Expos at Pavillon de Dauphine in Paris.

More than 200 distinguished guests have participatedthe event. BIE President Ferdinand Nagy and Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, Secretary General of the BIE gave their speeches.

Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales, Secretary General of the BIE

President Ferdinand Nagy

The BIE was created in 1931 by an international convention signed in Paris in 1928, which established the rights and responsibilities of the Expo organizers and participants. The role of the BIE is to supervise and ensure the application of this Convention.

In 2011, the BIE welcomed three new countries signing the convention, which tops the number of member states of BIE to 160.

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History of the BIE

Three more countries become BIE member states

Three countries join the 1928 Paris Convention of the Bureau International des Exposition and become new member states of BIE, which tops the total number of member states of the BIE to 160 by the end of 2011.

The Republic of Malawi joined the BIE on October 5, 2011, the Kingdom of Lesotho on October 26, and the Republic of Angola on November 25, 2011.

The BIE member's states take part in all of the organization's deliberations and engage in the development of Expo policies and principles. Member states also participate from the outset in discussions with the Expo organizers, especially as it pertains to their participation.

Located in the southern part of Africa, Malawi is a landlocked country, sharing borders with Tanzania to the north and northeast, Zambia to the West and Mozambique to the east and southwest. Malawi covers an area of about 118,500 square kilometers with a population of 15 million people.

Lesotho is a country completely surrounded by its only neighboring country, the Republic of South Africa. It covers 30,000 square kilometers with a population of two million people.

Located on the West coast of Southern Africa, Angola extends over an area of 1,246,700 square kilometers. With a population of approximately 19 million people, the country is divided into 18 provinces, and Luanda is the capital.

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Member states of BIE

BIE travelling Expo unveils in Astana

People visit the exhibition after the opening ceremony

The travelling Expo of the Bureau International des Exposition (BIE), EXPOxEXPOS, makes its stop in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, in January 2012, after its four-month exhibition in Liege, Belgium from June to September 2011.

In cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the EXPOxEXPOS exhibition features stories and pictures about expos and the BIE, showcasing a history of Expo from technological progress of the industrial era to the sustainable development in a globalized world.

Visitors can see major development stages of Expos, which represent themes and needs of the time: "World in Motion" 1851-1900, "From crisis to avant-garde" 1900-1939, "Peace and Awareness (about war)" 1958-1979, "Era of new technologies" 1982-1998.

The aim of the exhibition is also to enhance and expend the cooperation between member states of BIE, and to promote the value of Expo in different cities around the world.

EXPOxEXPOS has stopped in more than 10 cities since 2008. It opens to the public free of charge in Astana from Jan 11 to March 10, 2012 for two months.

Astana and liege are both candidate cities for hosting the International Expo 2017.

A guide explains the exhibition to visitors

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EXPO X EXPO

EXPO X EXPO official website

Information about EXPO X EXPO in Astana

Astana Expo 2017 candidate

BIE 150th General Assembly held in Paris

The 150th General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) was held on November 22 and 23, 2011 in Paris.

During the two-day meeting, the General Assembly heard the reports of the Executive Committee, Rules Committee, Administration and Budget Committee, Communication and Information Committee, about this year's work and plans for 2012.

After the General Assembly approved unanimously the proposal to recognize Antalya 2016 Horticulture Expo, the flag of the BIE has been handed to the organizers as a symbol of recognizing the city as the official host.

On the second day of the meeting, representatives from future Expos organizers, including Expo Yeosu 2012, Expo Milano 2015 and Horticultural Expo Antalya 2016 delivered progress report to the General Assembly.

Two Expo 2017 candidate cities, until today, Liege of Belgium and Astana of Kazakhstan, and five Expo 2020 candidate cities -- Izmir of Turkey, Ayutthaya of Thailand, Sao Paulo of Brazil, Yekaterinburg of Russia and Dubai of United Arab Emirates, made presentations on their candidatures.

Mr. Ferdinand Nagy, new president of the BIE

Mr. Ferdinand Nagy, delegate of Romania, was elected unanimously as the new president of BIE at the end of the General Assembly. Ferdinand Nagy is Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, and has been Commissioner General of Romania for several past World Expos.

Ambassador Jean-Pierre Lafon finished his second two-year term and has been designated the honorary president of the BIE. Ambassador Lafon was elected President for the first time by the 142nd session of the BIE General Assembly on November 26, 2007.

Expo candidates prepare for campaign

The Third Gentlemen's Agreement meeting was held on November 14, 2011 in the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Paris.

More than 30 representatives from candidates for Expo 2017 and Expo 2020 attended the meeting and discussed the guideline for their candidature campaigns and the preparation on the upcoming 150th General Assembly on November 22 and 23.

The Gentlemen's Agreement meeting aims to establish a friendly cooperation among candidates and to provide a chance for transparent discussions between candidates and the BIE.

The meetings are organized by the Secretariat General at regular intervals during the candidature period for a Registered Expo (World Expo) and a Recognized Expo (International Expo) to discuss practical issues related to candidature campaigns and to reach agreement on them.

Until now, the BIE has received the candidatures from Astana of Kazakhstan, Liege of Belgium for hosting the International Expo in 2017.

And five cities -- Izmir of Turkey, Ayutthaya of Thailand, Sao Paulo of Brazil, Yekaterinburg of Russia and Dubai of United Arab Emirates, are in competition for hosting World Expo 2020.

The submission of candidatures for Expo 2020 has already closed on November 2 while the deadline for Expo 2017 candidature will be December 10, 2011.