UN Secretary-General emphasizes South-South Cooperation for a Clean Energy Future

On July 9, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the International Centre for Small Hydro Power (ICSHP) in Hangzhou, as part of his official visit to China.

The centre which provides technical expertise and capacity building for the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) renewable energy technology transfer projects in Ghana and Zambia, held a session on South-South Cooperation to highlight how China’s knowledge and expertise can be used to address the growing need for renewable energy through south-south cooperation.

“The centre and its partners are good examples of how organisations can form partnerships through south-south cooperation to help achieve the sustainable development goals”, said the Secretary-General during his opening remarks. “Innovative trilateral cooperation projects, such as the Renewable Energy Technology Transfer project is a good examples of your centre’s dedication to supporting goal number 17 (Partnerships for the goals).”
 
 

China is increasingly playing a pioneering role in engaging its partners through South-South and trilateral cooperation on the basis of mutual learning, win-win cooperation, trust and respect. UNDP’s trilateral cooperation projects provide support and access to electricity for rural communities in Zambia and Ghana, through the creation of an enabling environment for renewable energy technology deployment and up-scaling. ICSHP is a key stakeholder and resource, providing expertise and capacity building to help countries address the urgent need for clean energy.

“Small Hydropower provides a practical solution to the rural electrification as well as poverty alleviation, economic growth and climate change mitigation in the developing countries,” highlighted Professor Cheng Xialei, Director-General of ICSHP.

Addressing climate change is a top priority for the United Nations, with the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasizing the importance of affordable and clean energy (SDG 7) to mitigate the impacts of climate change around the world.

“South-South cooperation for climate change and other thematic areas offers a unique opportunity to share China’s knowledge to make the world a better place,” noted Patrick Haverman, Deputy Country Director for UNDP China during the session.

The Secretary-General took an official visit to China from 6-10 July, to meet with President Xi Jinping as well as other senior officials, including Premier Li Keqiang, State Councillor Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.