Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,

Mr. Dennis Francis,

at the Meeting of the Group of Friends for Sustainable Energy

[as Delivered]

18 March 2024

 

Your Excellency, Ms. Christina Markus Lassen, Permanent Representative of Denmark,

Mr. Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Economic and Social Affairs,

 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am grateful to the Permanent Mission of Denmark, alongside the Permanent Missions of Ethiopia, Norway, and Pakistan – as Co-chairs of the Group of Friends for Sustainable Energy – for organizing this meeting and for the kind invitation to join you this morning.

It is an important and timely meeting, indeed – as we work to ensure the best possible outcomes of the Global Stocktaking on Sustainable Energy in April 2024.

You certainly would be aware that – since the launch of the UN Decade of Sustainable Energy for All in 2014 – some progress has been made in bringing affordable and clean energy to more people around the world.

New and more affordable technologies, better connectivity, and expanding partnerships have translated into discernible gains in fulfilling the promise of SDG7.

But our work is far from being complete.

We still have significant gaps to close – and further momentum to gain – in delivering universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy.

 

Excellencies,

As I have announced, the Global Stocktaking marking the end of the UN Decade will be held on 19 April – as part of the General Assembly’s first ever Sustainability Week.

It will feature two thematic debates for Member States on closing the energy access gap and transitioning to decarbonized energy systems and addressing energy interlinkages and strengthening means of implementation and partnerships.

I invite Member States, once again, to engage in the thematic debates at the highest possible level – to ensure that the deliberations yield impactful outcomes.

With the support of my team, we are currently working with UN Energy and other partners to finalize the arrangements.

In this context, I also welcome the roadmap presented by UN-DESA – which provides us with an excellent overview of the Global Stocktaking preparations.

Our deliberations at the Global Stocktaking will better position us – as we also prepare for the Summit of the Future in September, and other major conferences and events.

I have just returned this past weekend from Baku, Azerbaijan – where I had the opportunity to appreciate firsthand, the vision of His Excellency President Ilham Aliyev and his advisors for the upcoming COP29 in November.

I am convinced that the Global Stocktaking will also contribute to this Conference – where we must aim to continue the push for real action in the energy transition.

But what happens next?

How will we sustain the political momentum after the UN Decade is officially completed at the end of 2024?

How will we spur the critical innovations and investments needed to ensure universal access by 2030?

There are 473 million people in least developed countries alone who are still without electricity – and a further 2 billion people relying on harmful fuels to meet their energy needs.

We cannot afford to relent in our efforts – as part of our collective commitment and resolve to leaving no one behind.

As a major outcome of the Global Stocktaking, I am proposing a Call to Action to encourage Member States not only to follow-up on the UN Decade – but further to achieve the net zero goal by 2050.

Key elements of the Call to Action will centre on the commitments made and bedrock principles expressed throughout the UN Decade:

  • Universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy.
  • Global action towards net zero emissions.
  • Scaled-up investments and means of implementation; and
  • Strengthened partnerships, to name a few.

 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

As members of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Energy, I encourage you to join me in the Call to Action as a signal of our unity – and indeed, our solidarity – in driving faster action on SDG7.

Today, I would like to tap into your expertise and seek your views on what else is needed – to keep the focus on energy sustainability beyond the Global Stocktaking.

How do we meaningfully engage key actors in the follow up to the UN Decade?

How can we best support developing countries in their energy transition efforts?

How can we ensure tangible outcomes from the Global Stocktaking and tangible action to realize SDG 7?

As I firmly believe that it will take united action from all of us to make the difference.

I trust I can count on your usual support – and I am here this morning to listen.

I thank you.