On May 12 2017, the Energy Charter Secretariat (ECS) hosted the International Energy Charter Forum in Brussels. The event was jointly organized with Florence School of Regulation (FSR), Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC), International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), and Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). Over 100 participants were in attendance, representing the industry, governments, legal circles, and academics. Most of them joined the local diplomatic community evening before, 11 May, for a reception to inaugurate the new premises of the International Energy Charter.

The forum aimed to deliver cutting-edge thinking and debate on policy, legal and regulatory aspects concerning the undergoing transition towards a sustainable energy model. From different and complementary angles, the five institutions co-organising the forum participate in the promotion and protection of energy investment and in the analysis and policy dialogue on energy markets.

The event included, Opening remarks, a keynote speech, the signing of the International Energy Charter by the Republic of Mali, and 4 panel discussions:

Opening Remarks

Dr Urban Rusnák - Secretary General of the International Energy Charter

Mr Nepes Byashimov - Deputy Chairman of Turkmengas, on behalf of the Turkmenistan Chairmanship of the Energy Charter Conference. View Presentation

Ms Annette Magnusson - Secretary General of the Arbitration Institute of the SCC

Prof Jean-Michel Glachant - Director of the FSR

Ms Frauke Nitschke - Team Leader/Legal counsel View Presentation

Mr Martin Doe - Senior Legal Counsel at the PCA. 

Keynote speech

Ms Rachel Kyte, the CEO for the global initiative Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) and Special Representative for the UN Secretary-General in the SE4All, 

Ms Kyte outlined a comprehensive vision of the challenges to provide universal access to modern energy services, doubling both the rate of energy efficiency improvements and the world's share of renewable energy.

Panel 1

Mr Andris Piebalgs - Senior Fellow at the FSR and former EU Commissioner for Energy and for Development

Mr Robert Tudorache - Secretary of State at the Ministry of Energy of Romania

Mr Davood Manzoor - Deputy President of the transmission system operator Tavanir and Head of the National Energy Committee at the Ministry of Energy of Iran. View Presentation  

Hon Christophe Bazivamo - Deputy Secretary of the East African Community (EAC). View Presentation

Mr Najim Elhadj Mohamed - Permanent Secretary of the G5 Sahel. View Presentation

Mr Felice Zaccheo - Head of Unit Sustainable Energy and Climate Change, European Commission DG Development and Cooperation. View Presentation

Panel 2

Mr Ernesto Bonafé - Regulatory Expert and Expansion Coordinator at the Energy Charter Secretariat

Mr Alberto Pototschnig - Director of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER). View Presentation 

Mr Honoré Bogler - Chairman of ECOWAS Regional Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERERA). View Presentation

Mr Emmanuel Opoku Awuku - General Counsel of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Secretariat. View Presentation

Ms Aikaterini Florou - International Relations Officer at the European Commission DG Energy. View Presentation

Panel 4

moderated by Ms Frauke Nitschke - Team Leader/Legal counsel at ICSID

Mr Pedro Claros - international investment and damages expert. View Presentation

Mr Mark Appel - Chairman of the Investor-State Task Force of the International Mediation Institute (IMI). View Presentation

Martin Doe - Senior Legal Counsel at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). View Presentation

Ms Adinda Sinnaeve - Senior Expert of the European Commission (DG Trade). View Presentation