The fourth Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) was held in Paris on 20th of June. Supporting Rome’s candidacy, in the presence of the delegates from 179 countries, were Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Edmondo Cirielli, President of the Region Francesco Rocca, Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri, President of the Rome Expo 2030 Promoting Committee Giampiero Massolo, Director General Giuseppe Scognamiglio, architect Carlo Ratti, and Commander of the International Space Station Samantha Cristoforetti.
The presentation of Rome’s candidacy for Expo2030 opened with an encouraging greeting from Russell Crowe. The Australian actor recalled his personal connection with the Eternal City, starting from his film role as Maximus Decimus Meridius, the Gladiator in Ridley Scott’s celebrated movie. Crowe showed his support for Rome saying: “It will be magical because Rome is always magical, it is not only the capital of Italy but one of the great capitals of the world. A place for everyone, a city that has always opened its arms to all humanity. Rome Expo 2030, we are ready. On my signal… unleash humanity”.
Then the presentation continued with GAIA, a Roman girl who represents the alpha generation, the one fighting to defend the environment and who will be of age in 2030. Questioned by the patroness of the evening Mia Ceran, Gaia said that: “the World Expo must be an exhibition with universal values”.
During the Assembly, the communication project KIDS FOR HUMANLANDS was launched, a series of interviews with the alpha generation on the future of cities. The aim was to bring the future adults of tomorrow with their expectations and perspectives to the world.
To answer all the questions posed by the children, architect Carlo Ratti, who, together with a group of professionals, drew up the candidacy dossier: “Who better than children, with their dreams and hopes, can embody the need we all share to innovate and improve the way we live and live together? Our responsibility is to imagine places and territories where these expectations can be brought into play. This is our dream for Expo 2030 Rome: the construction of a meeting place where all the people and countries taking part are the protagonists of a shared mission. After 2030 the exhibition site will become a university park open to the world. A place of innovation at the service of all humanity, in the heart of the Eternal City”.
Among the testimonials brought on stage by the Expo 2030 Rome Promoting Committee was Mehret Tewolde, of Eritrean origin, in Italy since she was 13 years old, an expert in creating long-term partnerships and executive director at Italia Africa Business Week, who emphasised how Rome has always pursued long-term business partnerships. Giampaolo Silvestri, AVSI Secretary General, also spoke about the importance and value of Italian cooperation in the world.
Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, the first European woman in command of the International Space Station, took the stage and emphasised the legacy that the Expo project creates with the city. “For us, the planning of the Expo 2030 presentation dossier began with a reflection on what its legacy will be, what will remain once the Exposition is over. In other words, what will begin and not end in October 2030. The Rome 2030 site is the only one among the competing cities that includes a hospital, a major university and numerous advanced research institutions, including the Italian Space Agency,” Samantha Cristoforetti said, adding, “Expo is by its very nature universal. Students, researchers, young graduates, young talent, young professionals from all over the world will eventually return to their countries, to your countries, to share those opportunities for business, growth and innovation. The legacy is, above all, sharing. Because universal must be the benefits that the entire international community derives from Expo. Sharing, inclusion, is part of our Italian DNA, it is part of our way of thinking, our way of living. And so, this is the legacy we envision for Expo 2030. A trail of progress through the international community uniting nations around the goals of sustainable development.” Cristoforetti concluded.
Council President Giorgia Meloni then spoke in support of the candidacy: “Ancient traditions and technological modernity have inspired our project and give substance to our proposal. People and territories. Regeneration, Inclusion and Innovation is the theme of the Rome Expo which means that people and their rights integrated with the surrounding environment, sustainability, lasting partnerships between nations, responsible and inclusive cooperation with the most vulnerable and an ambitious future legacy for the international community are at the heart of the project. These are the pillars of our project and these are the reasons for choosing Rome,” she added. “Our exhibition site will be innovative and completely sustainable. It will be the largest solar park ever built in a city, and each pavilion will produce clean energy that will power the local grid. Furthermore,” she said, “we are ready to act to ensure equal opportunities, also from a financial point of view, for the widest possible participation in our World Expo. The legacy of World Expo in Italy is to create a pathway to progress for the international community, to show how our Millennium Goals can be achieved, that they are not just words and that the relationship between people and their environment can really be improved by working together. Choosing to host World Expo 2030 in Rome means choosing all this.” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni concluded.
