IRENA – The launch of an international organisation

After having worked on a number of projects aimed at establishing the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), adelphi also took on a key support role in the ongoing development process. This included assuming responsibility for the substantive and conceptional preparations for the second session of the Preparatory Commission at the end of June 2009 in Egypt. At that session decisions taken included the country in which IRENA was to be located and designation of its founding director. Other items on the agenda for Egypt were the adoption of the work programme and the budget as well as the financial and personnel arrangements for IRENA covering the transitional phase in 2009 and 2010.

adelphi was involved in drafting various working papers, in particular relating to the ongoing development of the work programme and to internal procedures, such as the staff regulations and the financial regulations. During this period, in which IRENA had been established but did not yet have its own dedicated structures, adelphi also acted in part as the Agency's secretariat. This involved handling communications with members as well as key aspects of public relations activities, such as the redesign of the IRENA website and production of the first newsletter.