Renewable Energy and MINUSMA
6 October, 4-5:30 pm CET / 10-11:30 EST

Mali and MINUSMA face some of the world’s highest energy costs, as well as supply line vulnerabilities from transport of diesel across hundreds of miles.  Renewable energy, now the cheapest power source in Mali and most countries, presents significant opportunities to address these challenges, as well as reduce carbon emissions and potentially leave a positive infrastructure legacy for host communities from the mission’s deployment.

This special virtual discussion – hosted by the Permanent Missions of Norway, the United Arab Emirates, France and Mali to the UN and Powering Peace (a partnership between Energy Peace Partners and the Stimson Center) which brought together MINUSMA leadership, relevant UN departments, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and interested Member States to evaluate options for renewable energy integration. 

The event also occured in the context of the UN Security Council's consideration of MINUSMA's mandate renewal, which recognizes climate's relevance to the mission, and the UN's ambitious internal goals around climate. As a baseline, the event presented Powering Peace’s just-released report "From Power to Peacebuilding in Mali: How MINUSMA's Opportunity to Bridge the Gap", on MINUSMA’s energy situation, and outlined potential next steps based on security, technical, and financial viability. The discussions also considered MINUSMA’s contribution toward the UN Secretariat’s overall 80% renewable energy target by 2030.

The event was part of a series of workshops and panels in 2021 and 2022 on renewables implementation in specific security contexts and broader UN peace operations.

Watch a recording of the session here

Moderators

  • Hans Olav Ibrekk, Director Section for Energy, Climate and Food Safety, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway

  • Nawal Al Hosany, Permanent Representative to IRENA, United Arab Emirates

 

 

Speakers