United Arab Emirates signs Permanent Headquarters Agreement with IRENA

Abu Dhabi, June 5, 2012 (WAM) - The Permanent Headquarters Agreement was yesterday signed between the United Arab Emirates and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), which recognises the legal status and capacity of IRENA to perform its mandate as an international agency. Dr. Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State, and Adnan Amin, Director-General of IRENA, formalised the agreement during a signing ceremony, one day before the start of the third IRENA Council meeting, to be held in Abu Dhabi. The Permanent Headquarters Agreement is the first of its kind signed in the Middle East, and is a continuation of an agreement signed in October 2010 that granted IRENA interim legal authority to ensure its proper administration functions. "The UAE has emerged as a powerful advocate for renewable energy, applying our expertise and entrepreneurial spirit to implement innovative solutions that diversify and scale energy solutions across the globe. Our unwavering support of IRENA is demonstrated through our role as its host, as well as through the very active role we are playing in providing input to IRENA's work program," said Dr. Sultan Al-Jaber, UAE Special Envoy and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy '&' Climate Change. More than 1,500 delegates representing 160 countries, 30 international organisations, as well as representatives from academia and the private sector convene in Abu Dhabi each year for the IRENA General Assembly and Council meetings, during which delegates discuss programs, policies and strategies to increase the successful implementation of renewable energy sources around world. The establishment of IRENA's permanent headquarters in the UAE will foster further cooperation and dialogue among the 158 member states with ready access to the organisation's resources and information to ensure widespread adoption and use of renewable energy to safeguard a sustainable future. – Emirates News Agency, WAM