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REEEP REGIONAL SECRETARIAT FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN REGION TO HOLD THIRD REGIONAL PREPARATORY MEETING

The Organization of American States (OAS), through its Department of Sustainable Development, will hold the Third Regional Preparatory Meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean Region of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP). The meeting will be held on September 04, 2008, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Club de Industriales in Mexico City, Mexico.

The goal of the meeting is to analyze the impact of current and past REEEP projects implemented in Latin America and the Caribbean region in order to review and update the program’s regional priorities in financing, policy and regulation. Energy sector leaders from Mexico and Latin America will be invited to attend this event.

REEEP is a global public-private partnership that structures policy and regulatory initiatives for clean energy, and facilitates financing for energy projects. To date, REEEP has funded more than 84 projects in 44 countries. These projects address market barriers to clean energy in the developing world and economies in transition. The partnership is backed by more than 260 partners representing national governments, businesses, development banks and NGOs. “REEEP has been working hard to encourage regulatory and legislative change internationally to enable renewable energy resources to be incorporated into the energy mix” said Dr. Marianne Osterkorn, Director of REEEP.

The OAS Department of Sustainable Development functions as REEEP Regional Secretariat for Latin America and the Caribbean Region. For more than a decade the OAS has provided technical assistance and promoted hemispheric cooperation for renewable energy and energy efficiency. “The increasing cost of petroleum caused by the growth in energy consumption is causing economic and even social instability”, declared the Secretary General of the OAS, José Miguel Insulza, in July of 2008. “From a social point of view, energy is a vital resource used for basic human needs as well as to generate productive activities. Latin America is rich in energy resources. Nevertheless, more than 50 million people, mostly in poor rural areas, do not have access to reliable and affordable electricity”, said the Secretary General.

For more information about the REEEP Regional Preparatory Meeting you may contact Mr. Juan Cruz Monticelli by phone or e-mail at +1(202) 458-3745, [email protected].

WHAT: III Regional REEEP Preparatory Meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean Region
WHEN: September 04, 2008
TIME: 9:00 a.m. (Mexico time)
PLACE: Club de Industriales
Andrés Bello 29, Col. Polanco, México D.F., México.

Reference: AVI-048/08