Kuwait will be hosting the ninth session of the ESCWA Committee on Energy on 12-13 June at Regency Hotel, Kuwait. The Session will kick off on Wednesday 12 June at 10:00AM with the participation of representatives from member countries specialized in the field of Energy. Election of officers will follow in accordance with the Arabic alphabetical order employed by the United Nations, whereby Libya will assume the chairmanship of the session, Lebanon and Egypt the vice-chairmanship and Morocco the rapporteur. The ninth session of the Committee on Energy will tackle the progress achieved in the field of Energy in the ESCWA member countries; the projects achieved and those planned to be implemented in member countries; the adoption and implementation of renewable energy technologies in member countries; and the country papers on programmes and achievements of member countries in the field of Energy. Participants will also discuss the outcomes of international and regional meetings in the field of Energy, and especially those of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), and the Intergovernmental Consultative Meeting on the Water-Energy Nexus in ESCWA Member Countries. The ESCWA Committee on Energy was established pursuant to resolution 204 (D-18) dated 25 May 1995 endorsed by the UN Economic and Social Council in its resolution 1995/25 dated 24 July 1995, and in view of the crucial role played by the energy sector in supporting the programs of social and economic development in ESCWA Member States, and in light of the diversity of energy resources in these states that are not limited to oil and gas. Thus a close regional cooperation is needed to strengthen the capabilities of Member States for developing the use of renewable sources of energy through coordinating activities in the field of Energy and their impact on the environment, and particularly on climate change, and the bases of sustainable development. The ESCWA Committee on Energy convenes its meetings every two years. It is made up of representatives of ESCWA Member States specialized in the field of Energy. It undertakes the following tasks: participating in the establishment and formulation of priorities for programmes of work and medium-term plans in the field of Energy; monitoring the developments in the field of Energy in ESCWA Member States; monitoring the progress achieved in the activities of the ESCWA secretariat in the field of Energy; and following up on international and regional conferences and the participation of Member States in them, and coordinating Member States’ efforts in connection with the implementation of resolutions and recommendations. Parameters Influencing Oil and Gas Pricing Prior to the ninth session of the ESCWA Committee on Energy, a regional workshop will be held in cooperation with Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) on “Oil and Gas Pricing Parameters Influencing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Activities” on Tuesday 11 June 2013 at the KISR headquarters. The regional workshop, which will open at 9:00 AM, aims at enabling participants to understand the economics of oil and gas from a supply and demand perspective and the different factors and actors involved in determining cost and pricing; building the capacity of participants to relate the effects of pricing on the prospects of renewable energy and energy efficiency actions; relating oil and gas market pricing to climate change; and indentifying priority technical areas for developing capacity building programs for policy makers and technical personnel in addressing economic and pricing dimensions to enhance sustainable energy for all while ensuring economic soundness. Participants in the workshop will include representatives of Member States in the ESCWA Committee on Energy and a number of experts working in the field of Energy. ESCWA ESCWA is one of the five UN regional commissions. It provides a framework for the formulation and harmonization of sectoral policies for member countries; a platform for congress and coordination; a home for expertise and knowledge, and an information observatory. ESCWA aims at supporting economic and social cooperation between the region’s countries and promoting development process in order to achieve regional integration. Libya, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Tunisia became members of ESCWA in September 2012. By this new membership, the number of ESCWA countries rose to 17, including Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, The Sudan, The Syrian Arab Republic, The United Arab Emirates and Yemen.