The France Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai (30 Mar. 2020)
France joins a consensus on a possible postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai
The General Commissioner of the France Pavilion took part in the Expo 2020 Dubai Steering Committee of the College of Commissioners General, made up of Expo 2020, the BIE, and around thirty participating countries including France.
The Steering Committee of the College of Commissioners General explored the idea of postponing the World Expo 2020 Dubai, and the General Commissioner took the opportunity to state that France was prepared to come to a consensus on the subject.
Paris, March 30, 2020 – Today Expo 2020 brought together the World Expo Steering Committee of the College of Commissioners General, made up of around thirty participating countries including France and representatives from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) to discuss potentially postponing Expo 2020 Dubai, due to take place from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021, because of the worldwide health crisis currently affecting the international community.
At this meeting, the Steering Committee of the College of Commissioners General studied whether the event should be rescheduled to a year after the original dates.
France’s General Commissioner announced on behalf of the country that they would be willing to come to a consensus on the one-year postponement, as it would be a responsible way to protect public health and safety.
Now, procedure requires that two thirds of the BIE member countries, including France, agree to the postponement before it can be implemented.
COFREX (Compagnie Française des Expositions), tasked with managing France’s participation at the event, will adapt to this new timeline while continuing to build the France Pavilion under the Emirate authorities’ health and safety rules for construction sites in Dubai.
Erik Linquier – Chairman of COFREX and Commissioner General for the France Pavilion:
“We recognize the organizers, Expo 2020 and the United Arab Emirates for their quick response to the extraordinary circumstances everyone is facing. Bringing together all nations in one place to combine the innovations which unite us will be even more vital than ever once this pandemic is behind us. We remain fully committed to playing our role in making the World Expo a memorable and unique event for everyone to experience and enjoy.”
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