6 June 2014: The first Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Forum convened from 4-6 June 2014, at UN Headquarters in New York, US. The Forum’s 1,000 participants assessed progress on sustainable energy since the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) in June 2012, showcased successes, shared best practices, presented new commitments, and catalyzed action to help shape the global energy debate for the next decade.

On the first day of the Forum, representatives from governments, UN agencies, international organizations, the private sector and civil society attended 46 different parallel panel discussions featuring over 200 speakers.

During the second day, a Global Leadership Dialogue was convened through global leaders’ panels; the UN Decade of Sustainable Energy for All 2014-2024 was officially launched, with the first two years to focus on energy for women and children’s health; and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) launched REmap 2030, a renewable energy road map to double the share of renewable energy in the world’s energy mix between 2010 and 2030.

On the final day, ministers, government delegates and other stakeholders addressed energy in the post-2015 development agenda. Kandeh Yumkella, SE4ALL CEO, and several speakers welcomed the inclusion of energy as the seventh proposed SDG in the post-2015 development agenda. [IISD RS Meeting Coverage] [Forum Website] [IRENA Press Release] [GEF Press Release]