Concluding Report of“International Symposium on Difficulties
and Challenges in Solar Energy Field in Developing Countries”

I. General Situation

“International Symposium on Difficulties and Challenges in Solar Energy Field in Developing Countries”, jointly sponsored by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), The China International Center for Economic & Technical Exchanges, MOFCOM, International Cooperation Department of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, International Cooperation Bureau of Chinese Academy of Engineering, Lanzhou Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Renewable Energy Society and Gansu Provincial People’s Government etc., hosted by UNIDO International Solar Energy Center for Technology Promotion and Transfer, Gansu Natural Energy Research Institute, Asia–Pacific Research & Training Center for Solar Energy, and co-organized by China Datang Group Gansu Branch, Beijing Advanced-Tepo Ecology High-Tech Co. Ltd and DM International Information, held in Ning Wozhuang Guest House, Lanzhou from 18th to 19th Jan. 2007. More than 130 experts, scholars, governmental officials and entrepreneurs from 29 countries of Asia, Africa, Amercia, Europe and the South Pacific Region and some related international organizations like UNIDO, participated in the symposium.

Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences,president of Lanzhou Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mr. Chen Guodong presided over the opening ceremony of the international symposium. Counselor of the State Council, the former secretary-general of the Ministry of Science and Technology, president of China Renewable Energy Society, Mr. Shi Dinghuan gave an opening remark. Vice Governor of Gansu Provincial People’s Government, Mr. Li Ying could not attend the symposium due to the emergency meeting, but Assistant Governor of Gansu Provincial People’s Government, Mr. Hao Yuan took part in the symposium and gave a keynote speech on behalf of Mr. Li Ying. Besides, Programme Manager of UNIDO, Mr. Evert Kok and some other leaders from The China International Center for Economic & Technical Exchanges, MOFCOM, International Cooperation Department of MOST and China Renewable Energy Society also delivered remarks in the opening ceremony. (Please find the attached)

Counselor of the State Council, the former secretary-general of the Ministry of Science and Technology, president of China Renewable Energy Society, Mr. Shi Dinghuan pointed out in his opening remark that through the exchanges and discussions of this symposium, we could globally diffuse and promote the utilization of solar energy and other renewable energy, particularly in developing countries; we could fully exert the function of UNIDO International Solar Energy Center for Technology Promotion and Transfer with the cooperation of international community; we could strengthen South-South and South-North cooperation to face all kinds of challenges and make contributions to world peace and social, economic sustainable development.

Vice Governor of Gansu Provincial People’s Government, Mr. Li Ying stated that Gansu government will exert every effort to continually support R&D and utilization of solar energy, expecting to make numerous accomplishment in this field, under the support and cooperation of international organizations like UN and other countries, in particular developing countries.

Programme Manager of UNIDO, Mr. Evert Kok emphasized that South-South cooperation is one of the crucial elements that UNIDO is actively supporting, and this symposium is one of the instruments in fostering such exchanges. We could welcome especially from our internatinal participants any proposals or opportunities for more specific activities in investment and technology transfer. ISEC can equally assist in supporting programmes to build various national capacities for solar energy promotion.
  
II. Discussing Themes

About 24 representatives from 29 countries of Asia, Africa, Amercia, Europe and the South Pacific Region delivered reports in the symposium. The central ideas can be summed up into the following four aspects:
1.Reaffirmed the significance to develop and utilize solar energy for alleviating energy shortage, replacing fossil fuels, reducing the gas discharge of greenhouse etc.
2.Introduced the achievements and experiences of each country they have made in the application of renewable energy, such as solar thermal, solar photovoltaic technique, wind energy, geothermal, biomass and hydropower etc. Meanwhile, all the delegates discussed all those problems and difficulties encountered in R&D and utilization of solar energy, like policies, financial support, technical level, products quality and human resources training and so on.
3.Discussed difficulities and challenges in solar energy field in developing countries; analysed the opportunities and favourable conditions meeting in the development of solar energy; probed into and seeked new paths and ways of those problems.
4.Expressed strong desire to strengthen international cooperation, South-South cooperation, South-North cooperation, especially cooperations among the developing countries in the renewable energy field.
  
III. Achievements

During the symposium, three cooperative agreements have been reached and signed. The first one is the framework agreement on solar energy technology cooperation among London Asia Investment Foundation, Beijing Advanced-Tepo Ecology High-Tech Co. Ltd., and Gansu Natural Energy Research Institute, UNIDO International Solar Energy Center; The second one is between Gansu Natural Energy Research Institute, UNIDO International Solar Energy Center and Pakistan; The last one is the agreement signed between Gansu Natural Energy Research Institute, UNIDO International Solar Energy Center and Shanghai Yi Yang Energy Application Design Office to install 50kw solar PV system in the ISEC building.

All the delegates unanimously holds that the exploitation and utilization of renewable energy, especially solar energy is a right choice, the essential component of world energy supply strategy, as well as an important move to protect human ecological environment and realize sustainable development. A lot of challenges will be faced in developing solar energy. Technology problem is only one of those obstacles. To solve it, we need various efforts from all directions. We need the related legal policy issued by our nation; we need the research work of scientific organizations; we need the promotion of social communities; we need the investment and development of private enterprises; we also need the support from financial agencies. In order to globally popularize the renewable energy, particularly solar energy, we have to rely on all the efforts of international community to bring the roles of UNIDO International Solar Energy Center for Technology Promotion and Transfer into full play, to strengthen South-South and South-North cooperation, and to probe into and solve the problems, difficulties as well as challenges in the energy construction.

IV. Acknowledgements and Repercussions

Under the efforts of all sponsoring, hosting and co-organizing units, “International Symposium on Difficulties and Challenges in Solar Energy Field in Developing Countries” has made a great success. Therefore, we would like to express our gratitude to the strong support of sponsors, co-orgnizers and Gansu Provincial Government, and to the contributions of all the participants as well as to our staff.
A great number of networks, news and press units, such as Xinhua News Agency, China News Agency, Gansu Daily, Western Commercial Post, Lanzhou Morning Post, Lanzhou Evening Post, Gansu TV, Gansu Science & Technology Net, Gansu People Broadcast and Lanzhou TV etc. have systematically reported this conference from different angles, which has obtained much attention from both home and abroad. (Gansu Natural Energy Research Institute)