Regulations Concerning the Use of the International Exhibitions' Flag

created by decision of the General Assembly on November 29th, 1968


1. During the meeting of the General Assembly at which the registration of an exhibition is announced, the President of the International Exhibitions Bureau shall deliver the BIE flag to the organisers.

2. At the opening ceremony of the exhibition, either the President or the Secretary General, or in their absence and acting on the authority of the President, a Vice-President of the BIE shall deliver the flag officially to the Commissioner General of the exhibition.

At the closure of the exhibition, the Commissioner General shall return the flag either to the President or the Secretary General, or in their absence and acting on the authority of the President, to a Vice-President of the BIE.

Should one or more registered exhibitions be scheduled to take place shortly after the current exhibition, either the President or the Secretary General or the Vice-President above-mentioned, may then symbolically transfer the exhibitions pennon to the Commissioner General of the said exhibition(s) accompanied by a formal declaration. This disposition will be reviewed when the amendment of May 31st, 1988 comes into force.

The Commissioner General of the exhibition will submit to the Secretary General of the BIE, at least one month in advance, the part of the programme for the opening and closing ceremonies concerning the flag.

3. The state organising the exhibition shall fly the flag.

Member states of the BIE participating in the exhibition are invited to fly the flag at their pavilions.

National, regional and municipal exhibitors are also authorised to fly the flag.

4. During an international exhibition, any firm wishing to use the flag symbol for publicity or manufacturing purposes shall apply to the Commissioner General of the exhibition.

The Commissioner General shall inform the International Exhibitions Bureau of all applications received and the proposed conditions of use. The price of assigning the right to use the symbol, and royalties from the profits arising from the use of the symbol shall be shared at a rate to be determined by mutual agreement between the exhibition organisers and the International Exhibitions Bureau.

The International Exhibitions Bureau, the sole owner of the symbol, reserves the right to prohibit any commercial use of the international exhibitions' symbol that would detract from its dignity.

Paris, March 12th, 1999