Originally from Investment Protection and The Energy Charter Treaty

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It is a great honour and pleasure to welcome you to this Conference on Investment Protection and the Energy Charter Treaty, co-sponsored by ICSID, the Energy Charter Secretariat and
the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.

Almost two years ago the Energy Charter Secretariat and the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce organized a conference in Stockholm on Investment Arbitration and the Energy Charter Treaty, which was opened by the King of Sweden. We cannot of course match that grand opening, but we can promise an equally
interesting event with many significant topics which we hope will lead to lively discussions.

The purpose of this conference is to continue to raise awareness about the Energy Charter Treaty and discuss key issues that it brings about. It is also an opportunity to reflect upon the importance of energy in development policy and the role investment promotion and protection plays in that regard.

The role of energy in development policy

To ensure sustainable economic growth and sustainable human development, it is necessary to reconcile the goals of energy security and environmental protection by strong and coordinated actions and public support.

As a development institution, the World Bank Group is well aware that energy has an important role to play in economic growth and poverty reduction. Our goal is to achieve a “double dividend” — to meet the energy needs and fight poverty on the one hand, while preserving the environment on the other.