1. Confirmation of Participation

The first step is to confirm participation by providing an official letter of acceptance to the Chinese Government via diplomatic channels. Upon the receipt of this letter, the participation in Expo 2010 becomes official. According to the usual BIE practice, the order in which the Chinese Government receives official confirmation from the participants determines the lineup of national flags and the introduction of official participants on different occasions.
The Organizer hopes that the invited countries and international organizations will provide to the Chinese Government a timely confirmation with regards to their participation.

2. Appointment of Commissioners General of Section
The next step for the official participant is to appoint the Commissioner General of Section and notify the Chinese Government through diplomatic channels. The Commissioner General of Section shall be responsible for:

●the organization and operation of the national section; and
●the respect by personnel engaged in exhibition, commercial and other activities of the rules and regulations of the Expo.

In 2008, the Commissioner General of the Exposition will convene the first meeting of the Commissioners General of Section. During this meeting the Steering Committee of the College of Commissioners General for Expo 2010 Shanghai China will be elected.

3. Participation Preparation

3.1 Submission of "Theme Statement"

The official participant shall submit as soon as possible to the Organizer a "Theme Statement" (Annex I) defining the overall theme and general contents of its exhibition. Upon receipt of the "Theme Statement", the Organizer shall consult with the official participant concerned on matters related to the statement. Such "Theme Statement" shall be subject to approval by the Organizer and annexed to the Participation Contract.

3.2 Selection of Pavilion Type and Application for Exhibition Space

The official participant shall submit as soon as possible to the Organizer an "Application for Exhibition Space" (Annex II), confirming its selection of pavilion type and application for exhibition space. Approval of the "Application for Exhibition Space" and the allocation of space shall be finalized when the Participation Contract is concluded. Please refer to "D. Construction and Exhibition Arrangement" for detailed descriptions of the types of pavilions available.

4. Conclusion of Participation Contract

Based on exchanges between the participants and the Organizer, a Participation Contract defining the participation terms and conditions shall be jointly signed by the Director General of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination and a respective Commissioner General of Section, and countersigned by the Commissioner General of the Exposition. A sample of the Participation Contract is provided in Annex III hereto. It is important that the participant concerned shall carefully read and understand the Participation Contract before consulting with the Organizer.

The Participation Contract itself mainly covers the following aspects:
●the allocation of exhibition space;
●the participant's commercial activities; and
●the participant's rights and interest.

As defined in Article 15 of the Participation Contract, the Organizer shall provide financial assistance for some participants. Details of the financial assistance shall be provided in the "Financial Assistance Contract" annexed thereto.