NEW ROUTESTOABETTERWORLD / HEALTHFOR ALL

Health is a part of our daily lives. From the food we eat, the air we breathe to the relationships we build, health affects and is influenced by all the interactions of our daily lives. It connects us to our families, our communities and to the world. It is a perennial and ubiquitous human right.

EXPO 2020 İzmir would like to take you on a journey exploring our vision of Health for All.

Growing focus on health

Although a perennial issue, health has become a more prominent focal point from numerous perspectives: governments around the globe are struggling to deliver services for all while containing costs. Major international organizations such as the UN, WHO and the World Bank strive to achieve improvements in basic health indicators in the developing world. Several NGO’s in the world aim to improve the well-being of people in poor countries by funding development and health initiatives.

And despite these major efforts, fundamental challenges in health still persist everywhere in the world. Developed markets, where people enjoy a high quality of life and access to healthcare, are under serious financial stress due to the increasing burden of chronic diseases and rising healthcare costs. Emerging markets are quickly trying to expand coverage and access to healthcare resources to an increasingly demanding population. Developing countries are focused on the immediate need to eradicate preventable disease and guarantee fundamental human rights. In this sense our theme addresses the challenges faced by every country around the globe.

EXPO’s role and contribution

Addressing today’s challenges in health will require significant collaboration and coordination amongst these traditional health stakeholders and more. EXPO 2020 Izmir will be a forum where international agencies, NGOs, governments, pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies, insurance companies, providers and others can come together to exchange ideas and collaborate to develop plans of action.

Unlike many health conferences, EXPO 2020 aims to not only further the discourse on health, but more importantly provide the opportunity for innovators to test their novel solutions and find partners to help implement and scale their ideas.

İZMİR, A CULTURAL MELTING POINT THAT BRINGS TOGETHER THE WORLD

İzmir is a global city that deserves to host the EXPO and is more than capable of doing so.

1. The EXPO 2020 Izmir would be the first EXPO in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

2. Izmir is situated on the most western point of the East, and the most eastern point of the West. This characteristic makes it a unique intercultural bridge between countries.

3. İzmir is only 3 hours flight distance away from 48 countries on 3 continents.

4. İzmir is the perfect host with its 8,500-year old history, extraordinary natural beauty, 300 days of summer, a temperate climate, perfect beaches, and friendly and warm citizens. It is home to two of humanity’s most important historical heritages, Ephesus and Pergamon, which are just a mere 100 km apart from each other. Similarly close are such touristic destinations as Çeşme, Alaçatı, Seferihisar, Urla and Kuşadası.

5. İzmir is a melting pot for people of different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. Its secular characteristics make it the ideal location to host the EXPO in this age of constant conflict between various regions and civilizations. İzmir will shine as a “social peace model” of the 21st century.

6. İzmir aims to cultivate an understanding between different cultures and religions, further strengthening its case to host the EXPO 2020.

7. Millions of visitors are expected to visit İzmir during the EXPO. This would create important economic opportunities for the city itself and the Aegean and North Mediterranean regions. In addition, these beneficial effects would be felt in the adjacent North Sea and Caucasian regions.

8. İzmir would be the perfect host and platform to meet all the demands of the participating countries and allow them to exhibit their traditions and experiences.

9. The BIE Executive Managers, and especially the General Secretary Loscertales voiced their support for Izmir’s bid during the closing ceremony of the Shanghai 2010 EXPO. They emphasized the shared and synchronized drive of the governor, local state officials, NGO leaders, state authorities and the population in general for İzmir’s strong case.

10. Many incentives were put into motion to promote İzmir’s popularity and highlight the government’s support for the EXPO 2015 bid:

• The BIE Survey Commission that visited Turkey in November 2007 decided that İzmir was very favorably positioned to host the EXPO.

• Our President and Minister of Foreign Affairs were present at two of the four hosting presentations held at the BIE General Assemblies, Paris.

• BIE delegates attended two international conferences held in İzmir, with the guests being hosted by the Prime Minister during the first conference held in October 2007, and the President during the second conference held in February 2008. Attendance numbers at the conferences were at an all-time high, with 107 countries attending.

• Many large concerts and dinner receptions were held in Paris during the hosting bid, with high-level officials from our government attending these events.

• Commercials that showed Izmir’s EXPO 2015 bid were screened on global channels such as TV5, CNN, BBC, Euronews, and Al Jazeera. Advertisements and special “İzmir” supplements were commissioned for magazines such as Time, Newsweek, L’Express, Challenge and newspapers such as the International Herald Tribune, Le Figaro and Le Soir.

• Support letters by our President, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs were sent to BIE member countries through our foreign missions, and state visits to 110 BIE member countries were made.

• İzmir’s bid for the EXPO 2020 started just after the voting results of the EXPO 2015 bid were announced. A Research Decision Conference between İzmir’s opinion leaders was held on June 2008 so as not to lose the momentum of the created synergy. The Chairman’s Council of İzmir decided in 2008 to immediately start İzmir’s bid for the EXPO 2020.

Please visit

http://www.expoizmir.org.tr/Videos.aspx#expo[gallery1]/0/

http://www.expoizmir.org.tr/Videos.aspx#expo[gallery1]/2/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XfbBvPRO4w