Energy Media Alumni Articles

The New Age

24 October 2005

Global forum pledges coordinated
energy use to fight poverty

BDNEWS, Brasilia, Brazil

The first Assembly of the Global Village Energy Partnership (GVEP) has ended in this Brazilian city of Brasilia with a pledge to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through coordinated use of energy in poverty reduction.
   The concluding session of the assembly resolved that the GVEP would play the role of a chief coordinator in bringing together all concerned for sharing the experience of the assembly.
   Chairman of the Board of Directors of GVEP and Foreign Ministry official of the Dutch government Paul Hassing said the question of not enlisting other countries, such as Bangladesh, Nepal and Zimbabwe, as member of the Partnership was raised in the conference.
   He said it is not a matter of enlisting member, as the Board will consider positively if any country desires to implement the GVEP rules and regulations.
   The GVEP Chairman said although Bangladesh, which has success in micro-credit programme, is not a member of the partnership, but a number of Bangladeshi organisations are our members.
   At present, a total of 36 countries and 800 organisations across the world are the members of the GVEP.
   Energy and Mineral Resources Minister of South Africa Lulu Xingwana, Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy of Honduras Gerardo Salgado and Programme Manager of GVEP Abeeku Brew Hammond also spoke on the occasion.
   Lulu Xingwana said: “We have to follow the countries which have already achieved success in poverty alleviation and the partnership can play an important coordinating role in this regard.”
   Gerardo Salgado said his country is ready to offer his support to any country to use its success techniques.
   Abeeku Brew Hammond said the achievements made in the first assembly would help facilitating proper use of energy to ensure a poverty-free world.
   The two-day conference, which began on October 20, concluded through evaluation by the media representatives Saturday. The pre-conference events began on October 18.