Abu Dhabi has been confirmed as the permanent home of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Special Envoy for Energy and Climate Change and President of the first general assembly of IRENA, has vowed to continue its initiatives to accelerate the development of renewable energy and further innovations in clean technologies.
Speaking at a press conference at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) after the conclusion of the two-day inaugural assembly, Dr. Al Jaber said, "The International Renewable Energy Agency has come into its official existence as an organisation, endorsing the mandate of the global community for sustainable and clean technology. The UAE and its people are proud, and honoured for Abu Dhabi to be the permanent home of IRENA."
"Guided by our leadership's vision, the UAE has taken bold steps to develop and deploy renewable energy, and we are looking forward to further collaboration with IRENA nations to accelerate the global adoption. We are committed to integrating new sources of power and commercialising the technologies that will enable a clean energy future."
The press conference was also attended by Adnan Amin from Kenya who was sworn in as Director General of IRENA for a four-year term.
Officials including Conrod Hunte from Antigua and Barbuda, Stephen Motsa from Swaziland, Benedikt H?skuldsson from Iceland, and Alexander Mikhalevich from Belarus were elected as Vice-Presidents of the Agency, while Abubakar Sani Sambo of Nigeria was chosen as rapporteur of IRENA.
The UAE, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, the Dominican Republic, Gambia, Iceland, Norway, India and Swaziland were appointed to the Credentials Committee. Additionally, a 21-member geographically balanced council of countries with two-year tenure was also formed to ensure IRENA moves steadily ahead toward achieving its goals.
The first session of the General Assembly gathered 800 delegates from 150 nations and was attended by more than 90 ministers.
In addition to IRENA, Abu Dhabi also recently hosted the second Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) meeting, which was attended by high-level representatives from governments as well as public and private sector organisations.
A C3E forum, part of Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) initiative, was held concurrently with the CEM. The forum featured two workshops highlighting the contribution to empowering the next generation of women for the betterment of the community.
