Advisory Board "2015: Women and Expo": an Initiative to Promote Women's Development in the World, Davos, 29 January 2010

MILAN and DAVOS, Switzerland, January 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The Advisory Board "2015: Women and Expo" met this morning in Davos to launch a five year plan to promote women's entrepreneurial creativity in the world, particularly in relation to the theme of the Expo "Feed the Planet, Energy for Life".

The Board is headed by Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan, who is co president with Government Extraordinary Commissioner for Expo 2015 Letizia Moratti of Milan. Among its members are Cherie Blair and Former EU Commissioner Emma Bonino.

The goal of the initiative is promoting projects related to women's issues all over the world, advancing cooperation among different countries and cultures at the same time. The projects will have concrete objectives, offering a contribution to the solution of problems like hunger, malnutrition and lack of access to clean water. The projects will be approved by the scientific committee of the Expo and be consistent with the theme of the Expo "Feed the Planet, Energy for Life".

The Board, composed of illustrious women from all over the world, aims to bring down the barriers still hindering the development of women. President of the board is Queen Rania of Jordan, co-president Letizia Moratti, the Government Extraordinary Commissioner for Expo 2015. Emma Bonino and Stefania Prestigiacomo have been appointed vice-presidents.

Among the other members: Diana Bracco, President of Expo 2015 SPA and the Italian Committee "2015: Women and Expo", Emma Marcegaglia, President of the Italian Industrial Association; Cherie Blair, President of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and of the Loomba Trust, Geeta Rao Gupta, President of the International Centre of research on women, Iweala Ngozi Okonjo, Director General of the World Bank, Viviane Wade, wife of the President of Senegal and President of the Foundation "Agir pour la Sante et l'Education", Margarita Cedeno de Fernandez, First Lady of the Dominican Republic and Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the World Food Programme.

Members of the Board include also: Kerry Kennedy, Director of the Robert F. Kennedy Foundation of Europe; Valentina Matviyenko, Governor of St. Petersburg; Laurence Parisot, President of MEDEF; Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, African Commissioner of Rural Economy and Agriculture; Sandra Pupatello, Minister for Economic Development of Ontario; Petra Roth, Mayor of Frankfurt and Yalcindang Arzuhan Dogan, member of the Association of Turkish Industrialists.

Periodical meetings will take place to check the progress of the work and plan future strategies. Between now and 2015 the Board will also organise relevant annual conferences, starting with Shanghai.

The first operative meeting of the board will be held in Milan in May.

Contacts:

Patrizia Marin +39-3482566212

SOURCE The Advisory Board