Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Burundi
From November 3 to 6, 2024, the Seventh Session of the ISA Assembly was held in New Delhi, India, at the Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan. The meeting was attended by key stakeholders and decision-makers in the solar sector, including world leaders, energy ministers, heads of international institutions, pioneers in the global energy industry, experts, investors and business leaders. Burundi was represented by His Excellency Ambassador Aloys Bizindavyi, Burundi’s Ambassador to New Delhi.
The solemn opening ceremony of the ministerial plenary was presided over by the new Indian Minister for New and Renewable Energy, His Excellency Mr Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi. It began with a presentation by the Director General of the ISA, on the activities carried out and the projects financed by the Alliance during 2024.
The purpose of this session was to renew the ISA’s governing bodies, in particular by electing the President and Co-President of the ISA as well as a new Director General. India and France were elected respectively to the Presidency and Co-Presidency of the ISA, as well as to the new Director General. India’s candidate for the post of Director General (ISA), Mr Ashish Khanna, who was supported by the Government of Burundi, was elected as the next Director General for a 4-year term starting in 2025.
The discussions focused specifically on the adoption of the report of the 6th Session of the ISA Assembly, the granting of observer status to some countries, the audit of financial accounts, the increase in capacity-building projects set up by the ISA, the granting of partner status to certain organizations, the restructuring of the Alliance’s financing mechanism, the implementation of the ISA’s strategic plan, key programs and the formulation of relevant solutions to the critical stages encountered in accelerating the global deployment of solar energy.
Several countries, selected from among those best illustrated for their efforts in deploying solar energy, were congratulated and rewarded by the presentation of trophies to the Minister by the ISA’s leaders. After the presentation of the trophies, the new Indian Minister for New and Renewable Energies, His Excellency Mr Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi, presented to the delegates the various points on the agenda of this 7th Session of the Assembly.
After long, frank and constructive discussions, the ISA member countries made pertinent recommendations on all the points on the agenda of this 7th Session of the ISA Assembly. The experts’ in-depth deliberations on the various thematic issues raised enabled the ISA Secretariat to refine its programmatic direction for the future. The implementation of fruitful cooperation between ISA member countries in order to successfully deploy solar energy around the world was discussed.
The ISA is an international organization with 120 members and signatory countries, working with governments to improve energy access and security worldwide.
