The Living Lakes partnership has been selected as a worldwide project for EXPO 2000, which will be held in Hannover, Germany. A Living Lakes exhibit at the exposition will focus on the importance of protecting lakes around the world. Major funding for the initiative is being provided by Unilever Corporation, and any significant Mono Lake Committee expenses in the project will be covered by related grants.

The partnership was inaugurated with five member lakes: Mono Lake, the Bodensee (Lake Constance) in Germany, Lake St. Lucia in South Africa, La Nava in Spain, and Nestos Lakes in Greece. Lake Biwa in Japan is a candidate lake, and there may be as many as twenty lakes in the group by the year 2000.

The Mono Lake Committee and the Global Nature Fund hosted a press conference at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to announce the partnership. Ed Manning, co-chair of the Mono Lake Committee Board, steered the press event. Speakers included actress Stefanie Powers; Marc Del Piero, member of the State Water Resources Control Board; Sue Meeson of Unilever Corporation; Dr. Gerhard Thielcke, President of the Global Nature Fund; Dr. Berend Harnagel, head of the Worldwide Projects, EXPO 2000; and representatives of the founding lakes.