At ‘Sustainable Energy for All’ Briefing, Deputy Secretary-General Urges Member States to Consider Further Measures to Bolster Global Efforts

Following are Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at a briefing to Member States on Sustainable Energy for All, in New York today:

On behalf also of the Secretary-General, I would like to thank you all for the very positive and constructive comments you have made during this briefing.  We stand ready to continue this fundamentally important dialogue on how to best support the implementation of sustainable development goal 7 on energy.

One opportunity to deepen considerations in this area will be the upcoming report of the Secretary-General, as requested by the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of [the] General Assembly during its last session.  The report will address “the activities carried out to mark the Decade, related activities within the United Nations system and the long-term institutional arrangements and accountability arrangements to all stakeholders of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative”.  The report will provide a starting point for Member States to consider ways to strengthen the UN system’s role in energy in support of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.

The Sustainable Energy for All Partnership has developed out of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative on the understanding that we do not currently have a General Assembly mandate to establish a full-fledged United Nations entity on energy.  The Sustainable Energy for All Partnership, as an international non-profit organization, is now the best way to mobilize actions from all stakeholders.  The Sustainable Energy for All Partnership and the United Nations will be linked through a relationship agreement.  The Secretary-General and the President of the World Bank will serve as Co-Chairs of the Sustainability for All Advisory Board and the CEO of the Partnership has also been nominated as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General.

The Special Representative will spearhead the United Nations system’s efforts, not least through engagement with United Nations Member States.  As one example, the Special Representative could represent the Secretary-General in intergovernmental discussions and global dialogue on energy, energy-related conferences, meetings and events, including those related to implementation, review and monitoring of the post-2015 development agenda related to energy.

In addition, the close cooperation with the new Sustainable Energy for All Partnership in Austria will help to ensure involvement of all relevant stakeholders around the world, bringing together Governments, [the] private sector, philanthropy and organizations to support the implementation of sustainable development goal 7.

With the Special Representative and United Nations cooperation with the Sustainable Energy for All Partnership in place, the Secretary-General’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative is now based on a very good foundation.  I again thank Kandeh Yumkella for his pioneering work and welcome Rachel Kyte to help chart the road ahead.

It is now up to you as Member States to consider and give guidance on further measures that might be needed to strengthen efforts on global energy in support of sustainable development goal 7, and by that, contributing to a life of dignity for all.  Thank you for participating in this important meeting.