Nouakchott, Mauritania, 21 March 2018: “The African Union Commission urges all stakeholders in the Energy Sector to harmonise and coordinate all their financial and human resources to achieve the common goal of ensuring energy access and security on the continent”. These were the views of the Director of Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union Commission, Mr. Cheikh Bedda during the First Ordinary Session of the Sub-Committee on Energy of the Specialized Technical Committee on Transport, Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure, Energy and Tourism (STC-TTIIET) held in Nouakchott, Mauritania on 21 and 22 March 2018.

According to the Director this meeting provides a platform for all stakeholders in the African energy sector to discuss and share ideas on how best to ensure and implement the respective programmes and activities towards coordinated energy sector development on the continent.

“We need to share experiences and ideas on the way forward in implementing the Action Plan on Energy adopted by the African Heads of State and Government,” the Director added.

In closing, the Director lauded the landmark strides made by the Government of the Republic of Mauritania in the energy sector, particularly in renewable energy since 2008.

The overall objective of the STC-TTIIET Sub-Committee on Energy meeting was to take stock of the outcomes of the July 2017 summit and the approved Action Plan on Energy.

On his part, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines of Mauritania, Mr. Tall Ousman noted that the deliberations at the meeting would have a significant bearing on Africa’s efforts towards ensuring energy access on the continent.

“There is a need for all parties playing their part in the implementation of the Lomé Declaration and Action Plan for Energy,” the Secretary General underscored.​

In his statement, Mr. Jacques Moulot, Chief Energy Specialist at the African Development Bank noted that the meeting provided an invaluable opportunity for the exchange of views, sharing of experiences and collective decision on the way forward.

“The African Development Bank, has made energy development its highest priority when it launched some two years back, the New Deal on Energy for Africa, which was presented in the STC meeting in Lomé in 2017,” Mr. Moulot affirmed.

Ms. Lilia Hachem Naas, Director of the North African Sub-Regional Office of the Economic Commission for Africa said “The Lomé declaration calls on all key partners to work together for the development of infrastructure and the distribution of energy in the African continent”.

She concluded her statement by stating that energy problems in the continent required a multi-country and multi-dimensional approach in order to reach significant results.

The opening ceremony of the experts meeting was graced by the presence of delegation from 26 African member States of the African Union and representatives of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), African regional and continental institutions as well as international organizations.

The Bureau of the STC-TTIIET held its first meeting in Addis Ababa on 25 and 26 July 2017 and as an outcome, recommended the operationalization of the Sub-Committees of the STC-TTIIET. The Bureau of the STC Sub-Committee on Energy has the same configuration as the Bureau of the STC-TTIIET with the following countries forming the Bureau of the Sub-Committee: Chair from Mauritania (North Africa), 1st Vice-Chair from Togo (West Africa), 2nd Vice-Chair from Ethiopia (East Africa), 3rd Vice-Chair from Zimbabwe (South Africa), and Rapporteur from the Republic of Congo (Central Africa).

For further information contact

Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dic@africa-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

Media inquiry Contacts:

Sophia Nesri | PIDA Information Analyst | Department of Infrastructure and Energy | African Union Commission I E-mail: sophian@africa-union.org mailto:dic@africa-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia

Afrah Thabit / Directoarate of Information and communication / AUC / Tel: 20326018
E-mail: Thabitma@africa-union.org

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