Countries and international organisations participating inExpo 2025 Osaka Kansaiwith Organiser-built pavilions (Type B and C) have gathered in Osaka to exchange on preparations as part of a dedicated International Planning Meeting (IPM).

　　Representatives of close to 100 countries and organisations, Expo Organisers and officials from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) took part in the two-day meeting, which focused on the pavilion delivery process, theme development and exhibition content.

　　Close to 100 countries and international organisations participated in the International Planning Meeting

　　With Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai opening in less than 700 days, the International Planning Meeting was an opportunity for Organisers and participants to discuss the pavilion delivery process as well as to share information on the technical requirements and standards involved in designing and creating pavilions. The step-by-step procedures and calendar for delivering the pavilions on time were reviewed, with the participants set to begin installation work from July 2024.

　　The journey towards the development of pavilions is guided by each participant’s interpretation of the theme and subthemes of Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai. The Organiser and participants thus exchanged during the IPM on the overall Expo theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives” as well as on each of the three sub-themes: Saving Lives, Empowering Lives, and Connecting Lives. The 155-hectare Expo site will embody this theme, with each sub-theme constituting a different zone where the pavilions of International Participants will be located.

　　The Secretary General of the BIE, Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, addressing delegates at the International Planning Meeting

　　On the second day, attendees had the opportunity to witness the progress made on the Expo site, where work on infrastructure and facilities is underway. Construction was launched earlier in the year, with a ground-breaking ceremony marking the two-year countdown to the opening of the Expo.

　　This meeting is the second International Planning Meeting to take place, following the first one held in November 2022. The next IPM, for all International Participants, is scheduled to take place in Autumn 2023.

　　A visit of the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai site was organised on 7 June

　　In the coming months, in addition to making progress on construction and exhibition design and content, the Organiser will also begin working with participating countries regarding the Expo’s programming and the allocation of National Days.

　　Addressing attendees of the IPM, the Secretary General of the BIE, Dimitri S. Kerkentzes stated:“With less than 700 days until Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, international participants and the Organiser are working meaningfully and efficiently to ensure that each and every pavilion achieves its greatest potential and delivers on its value. Each participating nation has a different canvas on which to paint, and I look forward to discovering the pavilions that will be crafted here, imbued with ideas and innovations from far and wide while sharing the unifying spirit of the Expo.”

　　World Expos, officially known as International Registered Exhibitions, are global gatherings of nations addressing universal challenges of our time. These unparalleled global events offer a journey inside a chosen theme through engaging and immersive activities. The most recent World Expo, which closed on 31 March 2022, took place in Dubai, UAE under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, and received more than 24 million visits. The next World Expo, Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, will be open between 13 April and 13 October 2025.