16 January 2013: Energy ministers and senior government officials from South American and Arab countries (ASPA) have adopted the Abu Dhabi Declaration on enhanced cooperation at the bi-regional mechanism’s inaugural meeting on energy.

The Declaration, adopted during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2013, reaffirms member countries’ commitment to enhance energy links between the two regions and highlights opportunities for further cooperation in the areas of renewable energy, oil and gas, energy efficiency, and the power sector.

Key provisions include: the prioritization of cooperation in renewable energy for sustainable development; cooperative efforts through the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE); cross-regional investment in oil and gas; support for domestic energy efficiency initiatives; and joint investments in power projects.

The First Energy Ministerial of ASPA follows ASPA’s 2012 Lima Declaration to make energy a backbone of the relationship between the two regions. The Abu Dhabi Declaration further agrees to a three-year work programme and subsequent ministerial meetings every three years.

The meeting took place as part of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, which consisted of the First Energy Meeting Of The Arab League And South American Energy Ministers, the Abu Dhabi International Renewable Energy Conference 2013 (ADIREC), and the World Future Energy Summit (WFES), the Zayed Future Energy Prize Awards Ceremony, and the International Water Summit 2013.

ASPA is composed of 34 member-States and the General Secretariats of the League of Arab States (LAS) and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).The South American member-States are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. The Arab members are: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. [APSA Abu Dhabi Declaration] [IRENA News Release] [Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2013]