DEVELOPMENT-GERMANY: World Expo Focuses On Cooperation

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Ramesh Jaura

BONN, Mar 2 2000 (IPS) - International development cooperation will be a major plank of discussions and interactive events at the five- month long world exposition, ‘Expo 2000’, scheduled to open its doors on June 1.

The exhibition will be held in the northern German town of Hanover, the capital of the German state of Lower Saxony, which was ruled by Gerhard Schroeder before he became Chancellor one-and- a-half years ago.

About 130 countries, from the developed and developing world, are expected to participate in what is being described as a grand event that is expected to draw 40 million people from around the globe.

About 90 of these are being sponsored and offered consultancy by the state-owned German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ). The German government has set aside some 53 million US Dollars for the purpose, according to Peter Conze.

Conze is the director of ‘Expo 2000 Office’ at the GTZ in Eschborn, near Frankfurt am Main. Considered by experts to be the world’s largest consultancy agency, GTZ is operating in 130 countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and in the former central and eastern European states.

The German government funding, termed as its ‘development contribution’ to Expo 2000, is being channelled through the German ministry of economic cooperation and development (BMZ).

The BMZ has tasked GTZ with encouraging Third World countries and multilateral development agencies to participate in Expo 2000.

“All countries with IDA (International Development Association) status may avail themselves of a free-of-charge advisory service offered by GTZ,” says Conze.

Countries with IDA status are the ones whose per capita income did not exceed 1,465 US Dollars – on 1995 basis – in 1997.

IDA is the World Bank’s soft loan arm, which is much sought after by low-income developing countries.

Together with other development cooperation organisations, GTZ has selected in all of its partner countries, projects to be recommended as global Expo 2000 projects.

“The determining factor is not which organisation is executing a project, with or without external support. (What is) important is whether a project is a model for sustainable development,” says a guideline paper for countries participating in Expo 2000.

The task of project selection for registration at Expo 2000 has been assigned to a jury of the International Advisory Board of ‘Expo GmbH’ company, consisting of German and non-German experts, with Ricardo Diez Hochleitner, president of the Club of Rome as chair.

The world exhibition will have four ‘core elements’, says Conze.

The first element will be presentations by countries and international organisations. They will focus on ‘Humankind, Nature and Technology’, which is also the motto of Expo 2000.

The second element will be the thematic area, a world of entertainment and experience, which will be for some 40 million expected visitors the heart of Expo 2000.

“This is where the themes of the future, based on Agenda 21 will be presented – themes that all countries and regions have in common,” says Conze.

The contributions in the thematic area are to centre on humankind, to illustrate the ways in which human behaviour toward nature has changed, and the appropriate application of technology.

These themes will, however, not be developed only in Hanover, the city hosting Expo 2000.

For the first time in the history of world expositions, the forthcoming one is combining the exhibition area on the Expo grounds with projects throughout the world: in Europe and Asia, America, Africa and Australia.

The exhibits in the thematic area are to take up practical initiatives that show the way to a new relationship among humankind, nature and technology and link them to one another.

Local projects in several developing countries will be regarded as part of Expo 2000 and will be documented in Hanover.

These decentralised projects constitute the third component of Expo 2000.

A many-sided culture and events programme rounds up the Expo concept as the fourth element. Before, during and after the world exposition, there will be a multitude of events from the worlds of art, culture and sport that will support the Expo 2000 themes and offer new perspectives on them.

The Expo 2000 Office at the GTZ is, in fact, responsible for managing all the construction work, operations and events for the Africa Hall in which 40 African countries will be represented.

“A varied programme of high-quality events is being organised, which will allow the visitor to taste the variety of African culture – both modern and traditional,” says Conze.

“Last but not least, the GTZ will ensure that all the events go smoothly for the five months that Expo 2000 is open to the public,” he adds.

One challenge is the planning and realisation of a design concept to make the Africa Hall stand out, even at a distance. Huge colourful sails will cover the facades.

There will be a 30 meter tall pillar anchored to the floor of the hall, which will protrude through the ceiling with 10 meters showing above the roof.

The interior of the hall is designed to take the visitor on a journey – to what is also described as the Dark Continent – using African colours, forms and sounds.

The concept, which bears the title “The Gift of Africa”, makes the Africa Hall a unique experience at the world exposition.