South Africa deposits the instrument of ratification for IRENA

The Chargé a.i. Ms CEN Mbuyane-Mokone of the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa in Berlin, participated in the handover-over ceremony of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) instrument of ratification on 30 November 2010 at the German Federal Foreign Office.

IRENA was officially established in Bonn on 26 January 2009 and to date 148 states and the European Union signed the Statute of the Agency; amongst them are 48 African, 38 European, 35 Asian, 17 American and 10 Australia/Oceania States.

The Government of the Republic of South Africa signed the Statute on 17 January 2010, and signed the Instrument of Ratification on 17 October 2010, in a ceremony attended by the Minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation DIRCO Ms Maite Nkoane-Mashabane.

IRENA seeks to promote the widespread and increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms or renewable energy. Acting as the global voice for renewable energies, IRENA will facilitate access to all relevant renewable energy information, including technical data, economic data and renewable resource potential data. IRENA will share experiences on best practices and lessons learned regarding policy frameworks, capacity-building projects, available finance mechanisms and renewable energy related energy efficiency measures.

Further to the Founding Conference on 27 January 2009, the Second Session in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, which took place from 29-30 June 2009, the Preparatory Commission designated Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, as the interim headquarters.

The first meeting of the Assembly, the agency's highest body, will be held at the beginning of April 2011. This will make IRENA a fully legal international organisation and conclude the founding process. The Director-General of IRENA will be elected in April but until then, Vice Director-General Adnan Amin from Kenya will be acting head of the Secretariat.

The Republic of South Africa through this critical milestone will join other members in their intention to continue working together to advance the establishment of IRENA, and foster energy supply that is reliable, secure and sustainable.

|+| <- Zurück zu: Archiv