Second Preparatory Meeting

Second Preparatory Meeting

Background:

Looking forward to the third ECPA Ministerial to convene in Chile on September 7-8, 2017, a Regional Preparatory Meeting was held in Miami, United States, on October 20, 2016. The 19 countries represented in the Preparatory Event took stock of the Partnership’s progress since the last ECPA Ministerial held in Merida in 2015. The most important developments covered included the Partnership’s Steering Committee (SC) Guiding Principles and Action Plan, and the initiatives implemented by the OAS to strengthen this Hemispheric effort.

During the Event, the participating countries discussed actions to further country engagement and participation under the ECPA umbrella, and shared their Governments’ priorities in energy. The Governments agreed to provide a one-page Concept Note, describing one (1) specific area relating to sustainable energy deemed central nationally and/or Regionally.

Objective:

To follow up on the exchanges regarding national and Regional sustainable energy priorities initiated at the First Regional Meeting, to encourage public-private partnerships for the advancement of sustainable energy, and to identify potential areas of action and deliverables to be presented at the Ministerial Meeting.

Prior ECPA Ministerial Meetings:

The first Energy and Climate Ministerial of the Americas was held in Washington, DC, United States, in April 2010. This two-day gathering of energy ministers from the countries of the Americas was key to establishing the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA), announced during the Fifth Summit of the Americas held Trinidad and Tobago in 2009.

The city of Merida, in Mexico, hosted the Second Ministerial Meeting, which took place in May 2015. This Event brought together energy ministers and high-ranking national authorities, who jointly agreed to design a dynamic Work Plan, with concrete actions to advance Western Hemisphere leadership in energy and Climate Change issues. This Meeting set the basis for a two-year Work Plan, and the establishment of a Steering Committee as the governance structure for the Partnership.

These Meetings have also laid the groundwork for an Action Plan for ECPA, which shapes the next steps for the Region’s energy and Climate Change Agenda.