The Global Initiative for Safety, Health and Well-being at the EXPO2025 and Beyond (GISHW)

Our mission

The ‘Global Initiative for Safety, Health, and Well-being at the EXPO2025 and Beyond’ aims to build a healthy and socially sustainable future society based on the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, the International Labour Organisation’s Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the International Social Security Association’s Vision Zero mind-set.
At the core of our initiative and endeavours lies the firm conviction that prioritizing the safety, health, and well-being of individuals in the workplace is fundamental to achieving global common welfare.

Our history

Following the resounding success of the Vision Zero Summit Japan in May 2022 the Summit hosts - the Institute of Global Safety Promotion IGSAP) - decided to continue the journey by organising the first ever safety, health and well-being event at a World Expo. Decisive for this bold step was that the theme of the EXPO2025, "Designing Future Society for Our Lives," harmoniously aligns with the principles of the Tokyo Declaration on Vision Zero for All, adopted by Summit participants.

April 2023: Kick-off meeting in Bilbao, Spain

IGSAP reached out to the leading international safety, health and well-being organisations, networks and professionals from around the World to join the initiative and during the 23rd International ORP Congress in April 2023 in Bilbao, Spain, a kick-off meeting for the ‘Global Initiative for Safety, Health and Well-being @EXPO2025 and Beyond’ was held. The proposal received a warm welcome by the 28 prominent occupational safety and health leaders present at the meeting, who unanimously pledged their support to the Initiative.

May 2023: 1st General Meeting of the GISHW in Osaka, Japan

Following the kick-off meeting in Bilbao, Spain, the first GISHW meeting took place in Osaka, Japan on occasion of Future Monodzukuri International EXPO from May 10-12, 2023. Delegates discussed the plans for GISHW events at the EXPO2025 and decided to establish three Working groups to prepare detailed proposals for a World Assembly of OSH-professional, for an International Symposium and for a Thematic Exhibition respectively. These proposals would then be discussed and decided upon by the Executive Committee at the 2nd GISHW meeting during the World Congress on Safety and Health at Work in Sydney, Australia, in November 2023.
Delegates also met with senior EXPO representatives, who provided a detailed overview of the significance of the event and its thematic focus areas. GISHW representatives communicated their objectives and demonstrated the alignment between their goals and those of the EXPO, in particular for a future society providing safety, health and well-being for all citizens.

November 2023: 1st Executive Meeting of the GISHW in Sydney, Australia

The 23rd World Congress on Safety and Health at Work in Sydney provided an impressive stage for the second General GISHW meeting. For the first time the Executive Committee of the Global Initiative met to learn about progress made since the first meeting in Osaka, and in particular, to discuss and decide the draft programme outlines for the EXPO2025 activities.
The Committee unanimously agreed the draft work programmes prepared by the working groups for the World Assembly of OSH-Professionals and for the International Symposium and stressed the importance of attracting many domestic and international safety, health and well-being experts to benefit from the excellent GISHW-activities in the framework of the World Expo 2025 in Osaka.

November 2024: GISHW press event

On November 13, GISHW held a press event, to announce that it will host the first-ever international event in the 170-year history of world expositions centred on the theme of "Safety, Health, and Well-being" at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. The launch event, which took place at the Main Stage of the Future Manufacturing International EXPO, where GISHW’s Well-being Tech Forum at Intex Osaka was held, began with a speech by Ms. Chihoko Asada-Miyakawa, ILO’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, and concluded with closing remarks by Mr. Yoshimasa Sakai of the Expo Association. It was also announced that participant registration will open on December 3 via the GISHW official website.

2nd GISHW Executive Committee

The 2nd GISHW Executive Committee meeting was held on the same day. During the meeting, 35 members approved seven event programs, which include: 1. Summit 2. International Symposium 3. World Assembly of Occupational Safety and Health Professionals 4. ILO Youth Congress 5. JIOS+W Exhibition 6. Festival 7. International Standardization Forum. Discussions were conducted regarding the specific planning and promotion of these programs. The event will be held using both the Expo site and the INTEX Osaka venue, welcoming visitors from around the world.

International symposium

An international symposium was held at INTEX Osaka 14 and 15 November, during which presentations and discussions on "Safety, Health, and Well-being" were conducted in preparation for the Expo-related events.

Well-being Technology

Well-being Technology, which proposes, promotes, and implements solutions for "Safety, Health, and Wellbeing," was showcased in the GISHW Zone at the Future Manufacturing International EXPO. The exhibit facilitated interaction and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.
At the Expo site construction and safety management tour on 15 November, participants observed Japan’s cutting-edge construction sites, where various new technologies are being utilized to enhance safety. The tour also included discussions on safety technologies for the future.
Furthermore, on November 18, a related event hosted by the Canon Institute for Global Studies took place at the Japan Industry Club in Tokyo.

Our organisation chart

Executive Committee

Honorary Chair
Masao Mukaidono
Chairman
The Institute of Global Safety Promotion (IGSAP)
Chair
Toshihiro Fujita
Director
The Institute of Global Safety Promotion (IGSAP)
Vice Chair
Hans-Horst Konkolewsky
President
Global and Danish Vision Zero Council (VZC)
Vice Chair
Marijana Zivkovic Mtegha
Strategic Engagement Manager
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
Vice Chair
Shinichi Takasaki
Director
International Labour Organization (ILO)
Vice Chair
Eiyu Hayashi
Executive Officer
The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun
Vice Chair
Yoshikazu Tanaka
Director of MICE Policy / Director of EXPO2025 & Integrated Resort Projects
Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau (OCTB)
Vice Chair
Lars Wismer
Director A+A
Messe Düsseldorf
Vice Chair
Noriko Takeuchi
President
Congrès
Vice Chair
Hiroshi Asahi
President
Japanese Standards Association (JSA)
Akiko Ohara
President
Messe Düsseldorf Japan
Akira Kubota *
Executive Director
NECA
Alan Stevens
Head of Strategic engagement
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
Andresa Hernandes
Vice President Safety at Siemens AG
SIEMENS
Bernie Doyle *
Secretary- General
APOSHO
Bonnie Yau
Executive Director
Hong Kong Occupational Safety and Health Council (OSHC)
Carina Hjørngaard Hjorth
Global Head of Health, Safety, Environment & S&R Transformation
MAERSK
Christian Felten
Managing Director
Federal Association for Occupational safety and Health (BASI)
Dee Arp
Vice President
INSHPO
Ehi Iden
President
OSHAfrica
Eng. Majed Alfuwaiz
Secretary-General
National Council for Occupational Safety and Health
Francesco Santi
President
European Network of Safety and Health Professional Organizations (ENSHPO)
Hiroshi Fujiwara
Executive Director
Japan Robot Association (JARA)
Hiroshi Kasai *
Executive Director
Fine Bubble Industries Association (FBIA)
Ivan Ivanov *
Head, Occupational and Workplace Health
World Health Organization (WHO)
Joaquim Pintado Nunes
Chief of LABADMIN/OSH branch
International Labour Organization (ILO)
Kai Hackbarth
Head of Products and Solutions Europe
Bosch Global Software Technologies GmbH
Lars Tornvig
Director
Human House
Malcolm Staves
Global Vice President Health & Safety
L'Oréal
Manfred Schoch
Former Deputy-Chair of Supervisory Board
BMW
Mohammed Azman
President
ISSA
Rolf Ellegast
Director
Instituts für Arbeitsschutz (IFA)
Samantha Connell
President
International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA)
Seong Kyu Kang
President
International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH)
Siong Hin Ho
President
International Association of Labour Inspection (IALI)
Stefan Hussy
Director-General
DGUV
Stefan Olsson
Deputy-Director General, DG EMPL
DG EMPL
Stuart Hughes
Immediate Past President IOSH/Head of Health & Safety
Mercedez-AMG Petronas Formula One Team
Takashi Kawata
President
Kawata Consulting Office
Tamio Tanikawa *
Deputy Director, Research Center Team Leader
Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
Tommi Alanko
Director of Occupational Safety Unit
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH)
Tsuyoshi Matsushita
President
MTG SIXPAD Inc. Headquarters
Ulrike Bollmann
President
ENETOSH
Yasufumi Kaneda
Executive Vice President
Osaka University
Yasutomo Nasu
President
Okayama University
Zhao Li
Deputy Director of International Relations
G20 OSH Network
* To be confirmed

Organizing Committee

Chair
Toshihiro Fujita
Director
The Institute of Global Safety Promotion (IGSAP)
Akiko Ohara
President
Messe Düsseldorf Japan
Akira Kubota *
Executive Director
NECA
Andresa Hernandes
Vice President Safety at Siemens AG
SIEMENS
Bernd Treichel *
Senior Officer in Social Security
ISSA
Bernie Doyle *
Secretary- General
APOSHO
Bonnie Yau
Executive Director
Hong Kong Occupational Safety and Health Council (OSHC)
Cam Stevens
CEO Work Design & Safety Transformation Coach
Pocketknife Group
Christian Felten
Managing Director
Federal Association for Occupational safety and Health (BASI)
Diana Gagliardi
Secretary General
International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH)
Eiyu Hayashi
Executive Officer
The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun
Francesco Santi
President
European Network of Safety and Health Professional Organizations (ENSHPO)
Hans-Horst Konkolewsky
President
Global and Danish Vision Zero Council (VZC)
Hideki Yamada
Event Operations Manager
GISHW Secretariat
Hiroshi Kasai *
Executive Director
Fine Bubble Industries Association (FBIA)
Ivan Ivanov *
Head, Occupational and Workplace Health
World Health Organization (WHO)
Jens Jühling
President of the ISSA Section for Electricity, Gas and Water, the Chairperson of the Special Commission on Prevention of the ISSA
ISSA
Jillian Hamilton
Managing Director
Manage Damage
Jun Kurihara
Research Director
Canon Institute for Global Studies
Kazutsugu Suita
Professor
Daido University
Keisuke Mikawa
Executive Director
Koichi Fukase
Executive Vice President
Osaka University
Koichi Noda
Director
Japanese Standards Association (JSA)
Koji Akamatsu
President
Japan Certification Corporation (JC)
Koji Sagawa
Event Coordinator
Japan Certification Corporation (JC)
Lars Tornvig
Director
Human House
Lars Wismer
Director A+A
Messe Düsseldorf
Udo Schöpf
Senior Vice President
ISSA - Prevention Section for Trade
Marc Wittlich
Head of Department
DGUV
Marcel Le Roux
Strategic Engagement Manager
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
Marijana Zivkovic Mtegha
Strategic Engagement Manager
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)
Mariko Yamada
Event Coordinator
GISHW Secretariat
Masahiko Ariyama
Event Coordinator
GISHW Secretariat
Masahiro Hashiki
Project Manager
Messe Düsseldorf Japan
Nathan Winter
President
INSHPO
Ockert Dupper
Global Programme Manager, Vision Zero Fund, ILO
International Labour Organization (ILO)
Pablo Rodriguez Nieto
Vice President
International ORP Foundation (FiORP)
Pernille Thau
Head of Department
Human House
Philippe Delbecq
Corporate Industrial Hygiene Toxicologist
L'Oréal
Satoshi Inoue
Professor
Tokyo University of Science
Selçuk Yaşar
Head of International Collaborations Unit
Ministry for Labour and Social Security (Türkiye)
Sven Timm
Director of Central Prevention Division
DGUV
Takashi Kawata
President
Kawata Consulting Office
Takehiro Uehara
Event Director
GISHW Secretariat
Tamio Tanikawa *
Deputy Director, Research Center Team Leader
Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
Tatsunobu Nakai
Event Coordinator
IDEC
Thomas Bömer
Head of Department
DGUV
Tomoe Murakami
Event Coordinator
GISHW Secretariat
Tomohito Mori
Senior Engineer - Safety Management Department
Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.
Toshiyuki Kajiya
Director
The Institute of Global Safety Promotion (IGSAP)
William Cockburn
Executive Director
European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)
Winson Yeung
Principal Consultant
Hong Kong Occupational Safety and Health Council (OSHC)
Yuka Ujita
Senior Specialist, Occupational Safety and Health
International Labour Organization (ILO)
Yuri Sakamoto
Event Organiser
The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun
Yoshikazu Tanaka
Director of MICE Policy / Director of EXPO2025 & Integrated Resort Projects
Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau (OCTB)
* To be confirmed

Working Group 1

Chair
Marijana Zivkovic Mtegha
Strategic Engagement Manager
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH)

Working Group 2

Chair
Hans-Horst Konkolewsky
President
Global and Danish Vision Zero Council (VZC)

Working Group 3

Chair
Eiyu Hayashi
Executive Officer
The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun
Vice Chair
Lars Wismer
Director A+A
Messe Düsseldorf

Global Initiative for Safety, Health & Wellbeing

The Global Initiative for Safety, Health, and Well-being (GISHW) is committed to building a socially sustainable future society, guided by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, ILO’s Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and the ISSA’s Vision Zero mindset. Central to its mission is prioritizing individual safety, health, and well-being in the workplace as a key to global welfare
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