The Foreign Service Journal, May 2023

56 MAY 2023 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Right, ” in the September 2016 FSJ ). Following the bankruptcy of the private partners behind the USA Pavilion at Expo 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry created an internal task force to address whether and how the United States should participate in world’s fairs in the future. The task force’s recommendations included creating an International Expositions Unit and explor- ing federal funding. A New Start In January 2017, task force member Jim Core was selected to lead the new “Expo Unit” housed in the Office of the Under Sec- retary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. The office set to work with Minnesota officials to bring a three-month specialized exhibition to the state in 2023. Among other things, the biparti- san Minnesota delegation worked with the House Foreign Affairs Committee, aided by the committee’s entrepreneurial Pearson Fellow Sean O’Neill, on legislation authorizing the United States to rejoin the BIE. On May 8, 2017, President Donald Trump signed into law the “U.S. Wants to Compete for a World Expo Act” (P.L. 115-32). Two days later, Jim Core was dropping off the treaty re-accession documents signed by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the French embassy in Washington, D.C. On Nov. 15, 2017, the United States lost the race to Argentina for the 2023 specialized international exposition. But the United States had done better than anyone expected; six months earlier it was not even a BIE member. The experience, and lessons learned captured in a Foreign Service Institute case study on multilateral diplomacy, would form the basis for a renewed bid by Minnesota for 2027, as well as raising hopes for Expo 2020. On Feb. 16, 2018, the Federal Register published the Depart- ment of State’s request for proposals (RFP 2018-03116) for the USA Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. This formally kicked off our search for an implementing partner that would design, build, operate, and disassemble the pavilion—not to mention raise the funds! We knew this would be especially challenging given the Expo 2015 Milan partner’s bankruptcy and the limited number of organizations with experience in the design and building of world’s fair pavilions. The Expo Unit worked with the U.S.-UAE Business Council on an RFP roadshow with in-person events in New York City, Wash- ington, D.C., Detroit, Houston, San Francisco, and Palo Alto in addition to virtual webinars. Our work paid off—we received multiple qualified bids. On June 5, 2018, Acting Under Secretary Heather Nauert announced the selection of a consortium to deliver the pavilion. Unfortunately, the group was unable to raise the money, and the department severed ties. Throughout 2019, State continued its quest for a viable partner. The Bureau of Global Public Affairs created a two-minute video extolling the importance of participation in Expo 2020, and Secre- tary of State Mike Pompeo hosted a reception in State’s 8th floor diplomatic reception rooms. However, companies were reluctant to contribute to a pavilion without dedicated federal support. After a second organization failed to raise sufficient funds, the depart- ment concluded that federal support was required. That summer, the Department of State secured White House support to make At the Nov. 18, 2020, Pavilion Handover Ceremony, from left: Marc Carlson, Counselor Ulrich Brechbühl, Jim Core, Assistant Secretary Marie Royce, Consul General Phil Frayne, Expo 2020 Director General Reem Al Hashimy, Carlos Diaz-Rosillo, Caroline Casagrande, Ambassador and Commissioner General John Rakolta Jr., Deputy Commissioner General Matthew Asada. USAPAVILIONEXPO2020DUBAI