The meeting was opened by Crown Prince Haakon and chaired by Norwegian Minister of International Development Heikki Eidsvoll Holmås, Mexican Minister of Energy Pedro Joaquin Coldwell and Tanzanian Minister of Energy Sospeter Muhongo.
Mr Holmås commented, “1.3 billion people do not have access to electricity. Access to clean energy is crucial for global development. This high-level meeting is an important step towards ensuring that the issue of energy is addressed as effectively as possible in the future.”
Mr Holmås has recently returned from Tanzania, which, together with Mexico and Norway, is leading a global consultation process on sustainable energy. This forms part of the UN’s efforts to develop a new set of global development goals to replace the Millennium Development Goals, which expire in 2015.
Access to energy is often referred to as the “missing Millennium Development Goal” and is regarded as essential for achieving sustainable development. The purpose of the high-level meeting is to sum up the results of the various consultations that have been undertaken around the world, and formulate a set of recommendations, which will be submitted to the UN Secretary-General.
“My aim is that this high-level meeting will help to ensure that energy is included as a separate global development goal in the post-2015 agenda,” said Mr Holmås.
Some 250 participants attended the meeting. These included representatives of government authorities, international organisations, civil society, the private sector and young people from a number of countries, as well as Dr Rajendra K. Patchauri who received the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007, Christian Friis Bach, Minister for Development Cooperation in Denmark, and Heidi Hautala, Minister for International Development in Finland.
Prior to the opening of the meeting, Mr Holmås and Crown Prince Haakon met young people from India, Tanzania and Mexico for a short discussion on energy in front of the art installation “Skriket fra naturen” (the scream from nature).
(Press release)
The UN has requested that Norwegian police officers help with a future peacekeeping project in Syria.
..
The Sofie Prize 2013 is awarded to US journalist Bill McKibben for building a social movement, fighting to preserve a sustainable planet.
..
The Progress Party (FrP) held their National Congress this weekend, and discussed the party's main positions before this fall's election. They want to redefine "the Norwegian model". ..
The Norwegian-Russian Commission for Nuclear Security will meet in Kirkenes, Norway on Tuesday to discuss nuclear security in the North, the Department of Foreign Affairs has announced.
..
The clean-up process in the wake of the destructive floodwaters which hit Eastern Norway this week, has barely begun, but it is already clear that it will be a long and very expensive task...
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has presented its views on the Norwegian economy and Norwegian economic policy, and concludes that the Norwegian economy continues to perform well.(Photo: Finance Minister Sigbjørn Johnsen)..
Norwegian energy producer Statoil has acquired a 12% working interest in the Block 6 licence offshore Tanzania from operator Petrobras Tanzania Ltd...
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide is visiting Ethiopia, where he is attending Saturday's African Summit in Addis Ababa, marking the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) 50 years ago...
Although the rainfall has subsided over most of Eastern Norway, the water level in larger rivers and lakes are still on the rise. More people have been evacuated, due to danger of flush floods...
