Secretary-General says Expo will 'transform' Shanghai

On May 1, 2010, the biggest World Expo in history will open its doors in Shanghai.

As China welcomes in the world for this grand celebration of human achievements and international goodwill - a tradition that dates back to 1851- I have the great honor of sharing with you, the readers of China Daily, some of my thoughts on this important event.

As Secretary-General of the BIE, the intergovernmental organization (with a membership today of 157 states) that grants a country the right to host an Expo and that establishes the rules regulating its organization, I have worked with the Chinese authorities and organizers of the Expo since the conception of the Expo project, almost eleven years ago.

What started out as a "vision" and a "dream" of a small group of individuals who understood the transformative value of an Expo for the city of Shanghai and for China, the Expo Shanghai project has since blossomed into a nationwide mobilization of the largest scale, attracting the attention of the entire international community.

The Chinese government has made the Expo a top national priority. President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, and Shanghai authorities have all emphasized the utmost importance China places on the event as an occasion for the world to get to know China and vice versa.

Today, as a result of China's extraordinary drive and commitment for the Expo, we can expect a mega-event of the premier caliber.

With the participation of 192 countries and 50 international organizations, it is truly a global and unparalleled showcase of what countries, cities, international organizations, corporations, various different institutions, and citizens are doing for a "Better City, Better Life."

Indeed, with humanity currently at a turning point in which the majority of the world population lives in urban environments, sustainable urban development is clearly at the top of global priorities.

Over 70 million visitors expected at the Expo will be introduced to the latest green technologies for urban life the world has developed, as we, at the turn of the millennium, envision what we want our future cities to look like.

The Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA) of the Expo will allow visitors to see the most exemplary urban initiatives proposed by the world's leading cities in a single visit. Visitors will see the plurality of perspectives and solutions that exist. Most importantly, they will see that the great challenges humanity faces today require the active engagement of citizens to take action in their daily lives, so that their collective action can contribute to the resolution of these challenges.

The Expo Online - a virtual counterpart to the physical Expo - will make this unique event accessible to those previously unable to visit, whether for lack of the means to do so or due to disabilities.

Heads of states will visit the Expo and key actors for sustainable urban development will contribute their insights. Public and private sector will join forces for one of the most anticipated global events of our time.

A reported 172,000 volunteers will support the Expo on-site and in service centers around the city during the six month. Another 1.97 million people will volunteer all around Shanghai. I consider this a powerful testament to the passion of the Chinese people for this event that is a source of pride for many of them.

Finally, I would like to note that an Expo is a work of herculean effort and a miracle of sorts, when one considers all that goes into building and delivering it.

This particular Expo represents the crystallization of the profound commitment and dedication of the Chinese government and of its people to achieve this important event, and through it, a better understanding between China and the world.

Just as much, this Expo also represents the commitment of the international community to collaborate with China and to join efforts in order to move forward, together, towards a better, sustainable development of cities. It is based on the understanding that we all share a common future.

The exchanges established through this Expo will open doors to new opportunities and possibilities for the future. I hope that the friendships built or reinforced thanks to the Expo will continue to grow and flourish.

I am convinced that this World Expo will be a magnificent experience that will be remembered for years to come. I would like to extend my warmest and most sincere wishes for the success of this event.

(China Daily 05/01/2010 page25)