The United Nations joins Expo 2020 in Dubai for six months of “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”

After years of preparations and engagement, and a postponement of one full year due to COVID-19, Expo 2020 will open its doors to in-person visitors on 1 October 2021 for six months. In keeping with past practice and the great value of convening at world Expos, and at the invitation of the Government of the United Arab Emirates, the United Nations will be present at Expo 2020 in Dubai.

The United Nations presence at Expo 2020 in Dubai is focused on programming and activities around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), international days, and thematic weeks. In addition, and with thanks to the generous support of Expo 2020 and the UAE Government, the United Nations will have a dedicated space, #UNHub, in the thematic pavilion dedicated to the SDGs. Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion, is one of three thematic pavilions curated by Expo 2020 that showcases how small actions can make a big impact on communities and inspires visitors to become agents of change for a better future.

In addition to a relatively small team led by Maher Nasser, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations at Expo 2020 and Dena Assaf, Deputy Commissioner-General and United Nations Resident Coordinator in the UAE, relevant UN agencies, funds and programmes are taking the lead on international days and thematic events and activities during the six months of Expo 2020. Expo 2020 is an opportunity to showcase how the United Nations System works to deal with global challenges and to create a world in which everyone thrives in peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet.

The United Nations has invited participating countries to highlight their own work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, especially during the planned Global Goals week from 16 to 22 January 2022.

Ahead of the day on which Expo 2020 doors will open to the public, Expo has organized multiple virtual events and activities in which several UN agencies have taken part. An upcoming Virtual Majlis event on 29 September 2021 will bring together female leaders from around the world to discuss “The World’s Priorities for People and Planet” that will include United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director-General of Expo 2020. The Virtual Majlis will be moderated by CNN Anchor Becky Anderson and broadcasted live on CNN.

Known as the ‘Great Exhibition’, the first World Expo was held in London in 1851. World Expos are now held every five years, under the auspices of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), with different countries taking responsibility to host.

Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region and, with 192 participating nations, each with their own dedicated pavilion, Expo 2020 is the most diverse in the history of the event.