The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) (International Exhibitions Bureau) is the intergovernmental organization in charge of overseeing the calendar, the bidding, the selection, and the organization of World and International Expos.

The BIE was created by an international convention signed in Paris, France 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.

As the international governing body of Expos, the BIE provides the regulatory framework for these prestigious global events, in which countries, international organizations, civil society groups, corporations, and citizens participate.

The BIE’s mission is to maintain the integrity and quality of Expos so that they may continue to educate the public and promote innovation in the service of human progress.

Expos must be able to not only provide a benchmark for the human progress made in a given domain but also propose a roadmap for the way forward – and the BIE works to ensure this.

Institutional Arrangements

The members of the BIE are the Governments of the Contracting Parties (signatory countries to the Convention).

The BIE headquarters is in Paris, France, as stipulated in the Convention.

The BIE comprises a General Assembly, a President, an Executive Committee, an Administration and Budget Committee, a Regulations Committee, and an Information and Communication Committee.

The BIE Secretariat, under the authority of a Secretary-General, manages the current business of the Bureau in accordance with the instructions of the General Assembly and of the Committees. The Secretariat represents the formal link between the Expos and the BIE member states.