23 July 2008: In an editorial published in the Financial Times, Mohamed ElBaradei, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), calls for the creation of an international organization on energy. In the article, which he indicates represents his personal views, ElBaradei describes the current energy crisis, stressing the need for environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil fuels and coordinated action on energy and
related issues, including climate change.

He underscores the absence of a global energy institution and the fragmented approach currently taken to address this issue. ElBaradei also outlines the shortfalls of exiting organizations or agreements dealing with energy, including the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, the International Energy Agency, the Energy Charter Treaty and UN-Energy. Having described the current lacunae in the
international system, ElBaradei describes the benefits of a global energy organization, noting that it could, inter alia: complement existing bodies in the energy field; bring a intergovernmental perspective on issues that cannot solely be left to market forces; provide authoritative and comprehensive assessments of global energy supply and demand; speed the transfer of appropriate energy technology to poor countries; ensure energy supplies in crises and emergencies; and coordinate and fund research and
development. ElBaradei further stresses that the manifest need for long-term coordinated action to address the energy crisis cannot be addressed without an expert multinational body and stresses the urgency of developing long-term solutions. [Financial Times editorial, 23 July 2008]