How we work

Today, 169 countries are Members of the BIE. Each Member State is represented by a maximum of 3 delegates who are appointed by their national Governments. They take part in the decision making process of the BIE through the General Assembly and the 4 Committees. The BIE Secretariat under the authority of the Secretary General is in charge of the management of the BIE.

The General Assembly

The BIE General Assembly is the decision-making body and representative entity of the organization. Each Member State of the BIE has one vote and deliberations are valid only when two-thirds of the countries entitled to vote are present. The General Assembly is held twice a year.

Its main functions are:

To elect the hosts of future Expos
To discuss, adopt and publish regulations on the organization process of Expos
To approve the Bureau`s budget, communication strategy and internal by-laws
To choose the members of each committee and elect their chairperson
To appoint the BIE Secretary General
To amend the Convention of 1928 when necessary

The General Assembly is chaired by the President of the General Assembly who is elected by secret ballot for a period of two years from among the delegates of the Member States. The President is re-eligible for another two-year period, without interruption.

The current President of the General Assembly is Mr Steen Christensen (Denmark)

The Committees

Representatives of BIE Member States meet twice a year in four committees. The committees work on the different issues related to the activities of the BIE and report to the General Assembly. All the proposals of the Committees are submited to the approval of the General Assembly.

The Chairperson of each committee is elected for a period of two years from among the delegates of the Member States. They are re-eligible for another two-year period, without interruption. The Chairpersons of the committees are also the Vice-Presidents of the BIE General Assembly.

View the members of each committee

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is composed of representatives of 12 Member States elected by the General Assembly.

Its main functions are:

To examine all applications from candidate countries who want to organize an Expo
To oversee the advances of all upcoming Expos and advise the organizing teams

Rules Committee

The Rules Committee is composed of representatives of 12 Member States elected by the General Assembly.

Its main functions are:

To provide participating and organizing countries with a guide of all the mandatory regulations for the organization of an Expo
To examine the rules and regulations of the Expos
To establish the Bureau`s internal by-laws

Administration and Budget Committee

The Administration and Budget Committee is composed of representatives of 9 Member States.

Its main functions are:

To prepare the BIE`s annual budget
To guarantee the compliance with the budget

Information and Communication Committee

The Information and Communication Committee is composed of representatives of 9 Member States.

Its main functions are:

To establish the communication strategy of the BIE
To advise Expo organizers on their communication plan

The Secretariat of the BIE

The Secretariat manages the organization.

Its main functions are :

To provide expertise and technical support to Member States
To advise and ensure coordination with Expo organizers and Expo candidates
To prepare the work of the committees and organize the committee meetings and the General Assembly
To implement the decisions of the General Assembly

The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary General who is appointed by the General Assembly. The Secretary General is the legal representative of the BIE and is responsible for attending to the current activities of the Bureau in accordance with the instructions of the General Assembly and Committees. The Secretary General of the BIE is Mr. Vicente Gonzalez Loscertales (Spain).