World Solar Programme 1996 – 2005

A major recent developmental initiative

  Its aim was to mobilize Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, financial institutions, the academic world, and the private sector in support of large scale utilization of clean and renewable energy sources for a sustainable development.

  On the proposal of the World Solar Commission, the World Solar Summit held in Harare, Zimbabwe, in September 1996, decided to launch the preparation of a World Solar Programme for a period of 10 years and approved the outline that had been submitted to it. The Programme was then prepared under the guidance of the World Solar Commission and was approved by the Commission at its second session, held in New York on 23rd June 1997 on the occasion of the Nineteenth Special Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations devoted to the overall review and appraisal of the follow-up of the 1992 Rio Conference on Environment and Development.

  Fife Resolutions in favour of the World Solar Programme 1996-2005 were adopted unanimously by the General Assembly of the United Nations (documents 53/7 of 16 October 1998, 54/215 of 22 December 1999, 55/205 of 20 December 2000, A/RES/56/200 of 15 February 2002, A/RES/58/210 of 17 December 2003). These Resolutions call upon all relevant funding institutions and bilateral and multilateral donors, as well as regional funding institutions and non-governmental organizations, to support, as appropriate, the efforts being made for the development of the renewable energy sector in developing countries based on environmentally friendly renewable sources of energy of demonstrated viability, while taking fully into account the development structure of energy-based economies of developing countries, and to assist in the attainment of the investments necessary to expand energy supplies beyond urban areas.

  The Programme includes a series of recommendations for actions to be implemented as a joint effort of the organizations and programmes concerned of the United Nations system, other international organizations, governmental and non-governmental, academic and research institutions, financing entities, industries and the private sector. The Programme included 5 global projects of universal value and more than 500 high priority, regional and national projects to be implemented as a joint world effort and has an objective to reach a turnover of US$200 billion by the year 2005. A number of these high-priority national projects are already being implemented; as of April 2000 the projects being executed with international financial assistance amounted to a total of $700 million. This indicates clearly that the World Solar Programme 1996-2005 functions as it was conceived, i.e. as an action-oriented instrument at the service of the international community for the promotion of renewable, environmentally friendly energies, for the benefit of industrialized and developing countries alike.

  The World Solar Programme 1996-2005 has been strongly supported by the European Commission and UNESCO. In its White Paper for a Community and Action Plan: Energy for the Future – Renewable Sources of Energy, a proactive co-operation of the European Union in the implementation of the World Solar Programme 1996-2005 (WSP) has been referred to. Heads of State and Government from three European Union countries have lent their leadership and strategic guidance to achieve the objectives of the World Solar Programme 1996-2005.

  Mr. Jacques Santer, the former President of the European Union, welcomed the convening of the World Solar Summit in September 1996 and underlined the growing importance of renewable sources of energy for a worldwide sustainable development. Mr. Romano Prodi, being a member of the World Solar Commission from Italy practically from its very creation has also supported the World Solar Programme 1996-2005 in his new position of the European Commission President. As the WSP was half-way in 2001, a critical and constructive assessment of the world’s achievements and failures in the promotion of a large scale use of non-nuclear and non-fossil energy sources and technologies has been undertaken. The results of such an assessment have been analyzed and way-forward formulated for the future of the World Solar Programme 1996-2005 by the World solar Foundation. A third World Solar Summit had been planned to announce lessons learned and actions to be taken to meet WSP goals and objectives, but has not been organised.

  Dr. Boris Berkovski - Former Principle Director, Engineering and Technology Division at UNESCO and Secretary General of the World Solar Commission - stated in March 2000: «The World Solar Programme 1996-2005 promotes the idea that clean and renewable energy technologies make it possible to reduce harmful emissions and ensure economic growth. It calls for tax incentives to business in order to produce more clean and renewable energies, energy -saving homes, fuel- efficient cars, and solar-powered water treatment and pumping. It also pledges for more clean energy technologies to be made available to the developing world. I would like to appeal to all nations, institutions and individuals to actively contribute to the success of the World Solar Programme 1996-2005»

  Report of the UN Secretary General to the General Assambly № A/60/154, 25 July 2005

  World Solar Programme 1996-2005: Progress report, 31 March 1998 can be found at:

  65 UNESCO documents on the World Solar Programme 1996- 2005 and
           World Solar Commission can be found at:

                http://unesdoc.unesco.org/ulis/#687711

                http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0011/001181/118114eo.pdf