A news feature by A. B. Kafui Kanyi
Accra, Nov. 07, GNA – World Expo 2025, Osaka, Japan, is three years away but it seems the talk of town is Expo 2030 and its possible host.
The Republic of Korea (Busan), Italy (Rome), Ukraine (Odesa) and Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) have submitted bids to host the international exhibition.
The host country of the Expo will be elected by members of the Bureau of International Exhibition at a General Assembly in November next year, on the principle of one country, one vote.
The Fairs are normally used to showcase innovations and inventions of individuals and countries.
Television, automobile, and telephone were all showcased at past World Expos.
South Korea is leveraging its political and business networks to win the bid for 2030 and appears very ready to host the Expo for the first time.
At a Korean’s Week celebration recently in Accra, His Excellency the Korean Ambassador to Ghana, Lim Jung-Taek urged Ghana to support Korea’s bid to host the international fair.
He says the City of Busan is eager to host the event on “3Ws”: well-developed; well-placed; and well-experienced.
Busan is said to play a crucial role in Korea’s path from being recipient of economic assistance to a donor country within half a century.
The City is also said to be leading the transformation process in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and designated regulation free zone for Blockchain technologies to test innovative technologies.
The Ambassador describes it as “well-placed”-transportation and logistics hub connecting the Eurasian continent to the Asia-Pacific.
The Municipality has an extensive experience of holding large-scale international events such as the Asian Games in 2002 and the APEC Summit in 2005.
Busan is the 5th and 13th largest MICE City in Asia and the world respectively with exceptional exhibition infrastructure.
The global megacity has more than 120 five-star hotels and expected to be a future industrial city and centre of technological research for eco-friendly mobility, shipbuilding, and hydrogen energy.
One of Korea’s major aims is for Busan 2030 to serve as a platform to develop solutions to promote “sustainable life with nature”, in the face of climate change and environmental degradation driven by rapid industrialisation.
It will also present ways to implement and utilize technologies to enrich lives and provide solutions for social issues, including digital alienation and digital divide.
The opportunity will also discus various forms of inequalities among nations and within nations to create a global social safety net, a news brief said.
Mr Lim says Korea will use the hosting opportunity to share its story of transformation to a donor country in half a century, with developing countries.
Perhaps the most exciting is the provision of pavilions, organization of pre-events and taking up of travel and lodging expenses of participating developing countries, he says, adding, “Busan is an excellent choice for hosting the World EXPO 2030”.
“While the development of technology and economy has been pursued as the way for better and happier lives, humankind is also facing unprecedented global challenges of climate crisis, the pandemic and digital divide.
“Dramatic and fundamental change, therefore, is called to address them. To achieve this goal, Busan aims to host the World EXPO 2030 with the main theme of ‘Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future.”
GNA