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CM:
CLUB OF MADRID CALLS ON A DEEP REFORM OF INTERNATIONAL ENERGY GOVERNANCE:
02/12/2007 (MaximsNews Network)
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UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network /
- 02 December 2007 -- The
Club of Madrid celebrated recently its VI Annual Conference, addressing the
theme “Democratizing Energy: Geopolitics and Power”.
The
gathering took place at the Instituto Cervantes in Madrid where the
Members and Advisors of the Club of Madrid were joined by high-level
representatives of governments and intergovernmental organisations, the private
sector and civil society from more than 20 countries to discuss the political
and geopolitical dimensions of current energy concerns.
The
conference opened in the morning with Spanish Minister of the Environment,
Cristina Narbona, and Spanish Minister of Industry, Tourism and Commerce, Joan
Clos, who, together with former President of Chile and current President of the
Club of Madrid, Ricardo Lagos, and the Director of the Instituto Cervantes,
Carmen Caffarel inaugurated the conference.
Narbona
noted that “…it’s essential to leave rethoric behind and start making the
necessary decisions in the field of energy and poverty reduction.
Two
sides of the same problem, of the same vision of our world - a world full of
economic and social inequalities and the additional challenge of designing an
energy model that will allow all citizens to access those services energy has to
offers all citizens, those living today and those who will be here tomorrow,
while simultaneously addressing the challenge of climate change”.
Clos
said that “In the European context we are making a significant effort and, I
think, a relevant effort, to imagine and design an energy model that can respond
to the needs of a developed economy, an economy capable of generating welfare
and prosperity, while remaining sustainable.
This
implies a radical change in our conventional energy traditions.”
President
Lagos noted that “the bottom line is that if we want to be true to our
achievements, we must recognize that energy is what allows us to live without
fear in terms of health, education, housing,and even old age.
In
this sense, the objective of democratizing energy is what has led us to place
the energy issue at the center of our concerns.”
During
the opening plenary speakers referred to the need of developing secure sources
of energy; the links between energy and democracy; the insufficient
technological development; the objective of universal access to energy; the need
for concrete strategies and of transparency in the governance of sustainable
energy growth, and; the mobilization of developing country energy resources,
among other subjects.
Lagos
referred to CoM Member and former US President, William J. Clinton, who during
yesterday’s dinner offered by the Madrid City Council to the Club of Madrid
emphasized the need to urgently tackle the current energy challenge “I have
always believed in the principle of this organization (the Club of
Madrid).
When
our responsibilities and functions in office come to an end, we are, in one way
or another, already well prepared to be useful in some other corner of the
world.
I
am particularly proud of the climate change work which the Club of Madrid has
been carrying out recently under President Lagos’ leadership”, adding “If
you ask anyone engaged in this topic as Al Gore and I have been, since we
started dealing with the Kyoto protocol, what the major tragedy of recent years
has been, everyone will refer to the fact that the US took power and left.
I
would agree with that. But the second major problem is the large number of
countries who signed the Kyoto Protocol and did not meet their
commitments.
And
the world is full of these problems, and not exclusively in the climate change
front.”
President
Ramos Horta urged Com members “not to underestimate their role in helping
situations similar to ours in Timor Leste.
For
a moment, during the conflict, I ended up feeling the loneliest person in the
country.”
“We
achieved our independence in 2002, and President Clinton was there with many
other international personalities.
I
am convinced that it is still one of the best transitions to independences
orchestrated by the UN, two decades after the conflict.”
On
his part, Mayor Ruiz-Gallardón noted that “you (the CoM) have not fallen into
an autocomplacent discourse.
You
have sought a pragmatic approach in all of your meetings, something which is
greatly needed in the world today”: He continued saying that “the purpose of
getting together this evening is to get to know each other better, recognize
ourselves as partners in a democratic cause and renew our commitment in favour
of liberty”.
During
today’s afternoon session three regional working groups (Africa, the
Americas and Eurasia), analyzed the challenges being met in the pursuit of
greater political and geopolitical stability.
The
first session ‘The Role of Energy in Power Politics’ discussed the
challenges faced by energy security, the relation between foreign donors and
local populations, political and economic consequences of the control over new
technologies of energy production, and strategies to reinforce energy security
and satisfy the energy needs of development, among others.
The
second session ‘New Governance Mechanisms for Energy Security’ analyzed the
change of the established features of global energy governance, as a result of
shifts in global energy markets, methods to help both energy consumers and
energy producers feel more secure on the evolution of the global energy balance,
and the impact of regionally -defined governance mechanisms — in terms of
supply, demand, and energy security.
During
the Closing session the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miguel Angel
Moratinos, gave his full support to the work the Club of Madrid, noting that
“foreign policy now includes much discussion of energy issues” and “there
should be dialogue and mechanisms of mutual respect among all
countries.”
Moratinos
concluded saying that “energy and poverty reduction go hand on hand if there
is political will”.
Former
Prime Minister of Spain Felipe González said that many conflicts actually arise
due to the “unequal distribution of energy resources”. González highlighted
the need to invest in renewable energy and raised the convenience of nuclear
energy and its development: That can not be stopped, but it must be regulated.
Ricardo
Lagos talked about renewable energies and their use to face the energy problem
world wide, stating the importance of finding feasible ways to develop and use
them properly.
The
conference’s final statement just released states that political leaders need
to pursue public policy reforms and invest on the research, development and
deployment of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro and geothermal
power.
Members
stated that the interdependent nature of present and future energy system
requires that political leaders look beyond short-term national interests to
find solutions built on expanded dialogue, cooperation, regional and
international agreements and, where appropriate, integration of energy
infrastructure.
Affirming
that the current abuse of state control of energy is unacceptable, the statement
says that the international community and national political leaders should
redouble efforts to support greater transparency and accountability in the
energy sector.
A
broader effort should be undertaken to develop an “energy agenda for
development” with national, regional and global benchmarks. The Club of Madrid
encourages the International Energy Agency to develop much stronger links with
new centers of energy demand like China and India.
As
stated the Club of Madrid/UNF, through GLCA proposed a Framework for a
Post-2012 Agreement on Climate Change, an international agreement to
regulate greenhouse gas emissions must be a top priority.
The
statement concludes saying that at the heart of creating a new energy vision for
the survival of our planet is a dedication to democratic development and the
Club of Madrid will continue to be fully committed to devoting its time and
resources to call attention to this fundamental objective and on the basis of
the ideas and recommendations developed at this conference the organization will
develop an agenda of concrete steps to contribute to the realization of this
objective.
Labels: United
Nations, U.N.,
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