United Nations to Have Dedicated Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai as It Commemorates Seventy-Fifth Anniversary
The United Nations will have a dedicated pavilion at the 2020 World Expo, to be held in Dubai under the theme “We the Peoples: Shaping Our Future Together”.
Following United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ announcement that the 2020 commemoration of the Organization’s seventy-fifth anniversary will feature worldwide youth-driven conversations on the role of global cooperation in building the future the world wants and deserves, its participation in Expo 2020 Dubai provides an opportunity for the United Nations to reach millions of visitors — in person and in virtual space — and inspire engagement in and around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Maher Nasser, Commissioner-General of the United Nations at Expo 2020 Dubai, announced the pavilion’s theme, noting that it connects the opening words of the Charter of the United Nations adopted in 1945, “We the Peoples”, with the seventy‑fifth anniversary theme “Shaping Our Future Together”. He added: “We are very grateful to the Government and people of the United Arab Emirates, and the organizers, for the opportunity to be part of Expo 2020 and for the generous support provided.” The United Arab Emirates and Expo 2020 have provided excellent support to the United Nations, including the ready-built, dedicated pavilion, as part of Expo 2020’s “one nation, one pavilion” policy.
The pavilion will be organized around a central, programmable space for events, presentations, discussions and meetings. It will be surrounded by exhibits that tell not only the stories and achievements of the United Nations — including its agencies, funds and programmes — but above all, of the people who benefit from its work, meaning every human being on the planet. Curated to inspire many new advocates to connect more closely with the United Nations, the pavilion will shine a light on an Organization that is open and accessible, listening to the voices of all and of young people in particular.
Expo 2020 Dubai’s theme, “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, is closely aligned with the very idea of the United Nations — coming together to create a safe, peaceful, just and sustainable future.
World expos have played a unique role since 1851 in conveying new ideas and technologies, engaging people and spurring support for global priorities across national boundaries. Expo 2020 Dubai, the first‑ever hosted in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, will welcome more than 200 participants. They will include 192 nations, each with its own pavilion, making Expo 2020 Dubai the most inclusive and international one to date.
For further information, please contact Maurizio Giuliano, at email: giuliano@un.org, or WhatsApp: +41 79 4574090.