UN Energy
The United Nations’ mechanism for inter-agency collaboration in the field of energy.
Established in 2004 as a subsidiary of the Chief Executive Board it reports to the High-Level Committee on Programmes, to help ensure coherence in the United Nations system’s multidisciplinary response to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), and to support countries in their transition to sustainable energy.
Mission
UN-Energy’s main mission is to be the primary agent within the UN for promoting system-wide collaboration in the area of energy, since there is no single entity in the United Nations system that has dedicated responsibility for energy.
Promote coherence in the UN system's multi-disciplinary response to WSSD
ActS as a gateway
For sharing information, knowledge, experiences and good practices as well as initiatives in all aspects for implementing the JPOI
Maintains an overview
Of ongoing and planned work within the system and building/strengthening synergies among independent initiatives at the national, subregional, regional and global levels;
Promotes joint programming
Harmonization and cooperation in the energy-related activities of the organizations of the system;
Builds on and draws lessons
From past experience in inter-agency collaboration on energy.
Employs dynamic and action-oriented
Approaches to coordination with extensive use of information and communication technologies.
Promote interaction with other stakeholders
Develops a data base
On the roles, potentials, strengths and programmes of relevant stakeholders.
Develops and maintains
Dynamic and interactive mechanisms for information exchange and dissemination among all partners.
Organizes a regular exchange of views
On policy in the field of energy and related activities, as well as developing.
Focus on substance and collaborative actions
Both in regard to policy development in the energy area and its implementation as well as in maintaining an overview of major ongoing initiatives within the system based on the UN-Energy work programme at global, regional sub-regional and national levels.
A system-wide network
Open to all concerned organizations and entities.
Relations with non-UN Stakeholders
A mechanism for the system’s interaction with non-UN stakeholders.
Rotating chairmanship
A collaborative arrangement with rotating chairmanship at a high policy level and vice chair at the expert level; both for a period of two years.
Activities
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Coherent advice
On behalf of UN system to support inter-governmental deliberations, e.g. SDG open working group, High-level Political Forum, and SDG monitoring and indicators.
Global advocacy and outreach
Examples include joint high level events on energy and its nexus with other SDGs during UN Summits, UNGA, UNFCCC, HLPF.
Knowledge sharing and capacity building
E.g. through expert group meetings with delegates and experts on SDG7 targets and means of implementation
Accountability and monitoring
Through annual UN-Energy reports on UN system’s activities on energy and periodic reporting to CEB/HLCP
Video conferences
Or face-to-face meetings with members (three per year on average) to coordinate activities, exchange knowledge and discuss progress.
Leadership
Chairman
The chairmanship was previously held by Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, former Director-General of UNIDO. It is currently vacant.
Secretariat
UN DESA provides dedicated secretariat services for UN-Energy. The current Secretary of UN-Energy is Dr. Ivan Vera, Chief of Water, Energy and Capacity Development Branch, Division for Sustainable Developm
ent, UN DESA.
UN-Energy Secretary
Dr. Ivan Vera is the Secretary of UN-Energy and the Chief of the Water, Energy and Capacity Development Branch, Division for Sustainable Development (DSD), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Dr. Vera has over 25 years of professional experience. At DSD, Dr. Vera has managed projects and studies related to sustainable energy, technology transfer, climate change, green economy, rural energy access and sustainable development.
Before joining DSD, he worked at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, the US Department of Energy in Washington DC and the Central Thermoelectric Plant of Venezuela.
Dr. Vera holds Ph.D. and MS degrees in Energy Management and Policy from the University of Pennsylvania; an MBA degree in the Management of Science, Technology and Innovation from the George Washington University; and a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan.
