Dialogue for Global Energy Security: The Role of the International Energy Forum

The CSIS Energy and National Security Program hosted Ambassador Arne Walther to discuss the role of the International Energy Forum (IEF). The IEF gathers Ministers of energy producers and consumers from industrialized and developing countries to foster a global dialogue on energy. The dialogue provides an opportunity for the Ministers to address issues of energy security and the links between energy, environment and economic development, as well as engage CEOs of leading energy companies on these issues. The IEF Secretariat is an international entity that was set up in December 2003 and headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and aims to enhance and provide continuity to this unique global Ministerial-level dialogue on energy in which more than sixty countries participate. The Secretariat also serves as coordinator of the Joint Oil Data Initiative.