GERMANY AND UNITED NATIONS SIGN AGREEMENT FOR UN PARTICIPATION IN EXPO 2000 IN HANNOVER

Press Release
PI/1217

GERMANY AND UNITED NATIONS SIGN AGREEMENT FOR UN PARTICIPATION IN EXPO 2000 IN HANNOVER

Secretary-General Kofi Annan Names Nadine B. Hack as Expo 2000 Commissioner-General

The United Nations and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany have just agreed on United Nations participation in Expo 2000 in Hannover, Germany, from 1 June to 31 October. Embracing Expo 2000’s theme, “Humankind, Nature, Technology”, the United Nations will join more than 200 countries and organizations in this millennium event, which will be the largest international exposition ever held. The planned United Nations pavilion will be dramatic, dynamic and interactive, utilizing state-of-the-art technology to document the work of organizations of the United Nations system and highlight Secretary- General Kofi Annan’s millennium theme: “The UN Works for You!” A grant of 4.5 million German marks to fully cover the United Nations’ costs for Expo 2000 is being funded by four German corporations, including Volkswagen AG, RWE AG, Deutsche Telekom AG and the Association of German Public Sector Banks, and will be administered by the Hannover Exposition authority.

To coordinate the United Nations participation in this important gathering of the world community, Secretary-General Annan has appointed Nadine B. Hack as Commissioner-General for the United Nations at Expo 2000. Ms. Hack is the president of NBH Executive Consulting, an international strategic planning and major events production company, and was formerly New York City Commissioner for the United Nations, Consular Corps and International Business. She will travel to Hannover this week with technical director Jan Ralph and artistic director Luis Sarda to finalize the United Nations plans. Messrs Ralph and Sarda created the United Nations award-winning pavilion at Lisbon Expo 1998 and their skills have shaped the United Nations presence at a dozen other international expositions.

The United Nations has a long history of active participation in international expositions, beginning with the 1950 Haiti Expo, and has since successfully participated in 14 others. At Expo 2000 in Hannover, the United Nations pavilion will be immediately adjacent to the main entrance and directly face One World Expo Plaza: the main events stadium and the major focal point for all commemorative activities, performances and celebrations. Ms. Hack and the technical team are working with all pertinent organizational partners and specialized United Nations agencies to create a unified presentation. The United Nations pavilion at Expo 2000 will represent the global work of the

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United Nations system and serve as a cornerstone of the Organization’s public information activities leading up to the Millennium Summit of the General Assembly in September. Expo 2000 is expected to attract between 40 and 50 million visitors over a period of five months.

For more information, please contact: Jadranka Mihalic, Liaison Officer, Department of Public Information; phone: (212) 963-7216; fax: (212) 963-9553; e-mail: .

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