3-4 April 2024, Paris, France - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) attended and contributed to the Plenary Meeting of the OECD Global Parliamentary Network (GPN). PAM rapporteur on Environment and Energy Transition, Hon. Claire Pitollat (France), represented the Assembly.
Since its establishment in 2011, the GPN and its plenary meetings serve as a high-level central hub for lawmakers and parliamentary officials to promote constructive dialogue among legislators. This year the meeting gathered 125 parliamentarians and 40 parliamentary officials, representing 36 countries, alongside senior international experts, such as Mr Mathias Cormann, OECD Secretary General, and Dr Faith Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA).
As an MP discussant in the panel on energy markets, Hon. Pitollat contributed with a keynote address, immediately after the presentation of the IEA Report by Dr. Birol. In her intervention, Hon. Pitollat recalled the findings of the 2024 PAM Environment Report, and the need for an appropriate energy transition to mitigate the effect of climate change. while also bolstering regional geo-economic resilience.
Additionally, Hon. Claire Pitollat announced the proposal that she will put forward at the next PAM Plenary Session of establishing a hybrid working group with experts and parliamentarians to develop legislative strategies to foster energy transition in the PAM regions. The proposal, included in the 2024 PAM Report and Resolution on Environment, will fall within the broader PAM initiative of creating a Parliamentary Green Energy Transition Community for the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf Regions, aimed at unlocking the renewable and sustainable energy potential of the regions. The proposals will see their operationalization at the forthcoming PAM Marrakesh Economic Forum.
PAM is committed to continuing engaging with all major international partner organizations and international financial institutions, and their parliamentary dimensions. The meetings of the OECD Global Parliamentary Network represent an important annual appointment for parliamentary engagement on key economic and development issues, alongside the forthcoming World Bank and IMF Spring Meeting and its Global Parliamentary Network, which PAM will attend and contribute to in Washington DC.
PAM's proactive engagement with the OECD Global Parliamentary Network, one of the most significant parliamentary networks, alongside the one of the IMF and the WB Group, underscores its dedication to promoting parliamentary engagement and cooperation for sustainable economic development in the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf regions. The upcoming PAM Economic Forum in Marrakech, in July 2024, will provide an additional opportunity for further discussions and joint actions on energy transition strategies. //