Legal framework for International Solar Alliance to kick in this week
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Updated: Dec 04, 2017, 04.38 AM IST
NEW DELHI: The International Solar Alliance (ISA), conceived as an exclusive group of countries lying fully or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, is likely to extend its footprint beyond the tropics. The alliance, India's brainchild, which was launched jointly with France in Paris on November 30, 2015, will come into force on Wednesday.
Germany, South Korea, Mongolia and Nepal have approached the ISA for membership with voting rights. The global body will consider the issue in the meeting of its steering committee, which includes India and France, next year.
Indian and French joint diplomatic efforts will see the legal framework of this body come into force on Wednesday. The fast pace has kindled interest among countries which were not originally included in the group of 121 prospective members. Asked whether the ISA would open its doors even for countries which do not fall fully or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, its first director general Upendra Tripathy told TOI that there was no reason why they could not join the global body as a partner country but whether they'll get voting rights or not was something which would be decided by the ISA steering committee.
If it happens, Pakistan and many other countries outside the tropics will be eligible for entry into the alliance. Though the framework agreement of the ISA has a provision for other nations to join as partner countries, most of them would like to join with voting rights.
"Countries like Germany, Nepal, Korea, Mongolia and others, who are outside the tropics, have shown keen interest to join. The steering committee is open to all countries. The committee with India as its chair and France as its co-chair has agreed to discuss it in the next meeting," Tripathy said.
The ISA was conceived by India as there was no exclusive body to address the solar technology deployment needs of solar resource-rich countries located fully or partially between the tropics. Most of these countries are geographically located for optimal absorption of the sun's rays. There is a great amount of sunlight for almost 300 days in a year in these countries which can lead to cost effective solar power. India has contributed around $27 million for the ISA corpus to meet the cost of its Gurugram-based secretariat for the first five years.
Germany, South Korea, Mongolia and Nepal have approached the ISA for membership with voting rights. The global body will consider the issue in the meeting of its steering committee, which includes India and France, next year.
Indian and French joint diplomatic efforts will see the legal framework of this body come into force on Wednesday. The fast pace has kindled interest among countries which were not originally included in the group of 121 prospective members. Asked whether the ISA would open its doors even for countries which do not fall fully or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, its first director general Upendra Tripathy told TOI that there was no reason why they could not join the global body as a partner country but whether they'll get voting rights or not was something which would be decided by the ISA steering committee.
If it happens, Pakistan and many other countries outside the tropics will be eligible for entry into the alliance. Though the framework agreement of the ISA has a provision for other nations to join as partner countries, most of them would like to join with voting rights.
"Countries like Germany, Nepal, Korea, Mongolia and others, who are outside the tropics, have shown keen interest to join. The steering committee is open to all countries. The committee with India as its chair and France as its co-chair has agreed to discuss it in the next meeting," Tripathy said.
The ISA was conceived by India as there was no exclusive body to address the solar technology deployment needs of solar resource-rich countries located fully or partially between the tropics. Most of these countries are geographically located for optimal absorption of the sun's rays. There is a great amount of sunlight for almost 300 days in a year in these countries which can lead to cost effective solar power. India has contributed around $27 million for the ISA corpus to meet the cost of its Gurugram-based secretariat for the first five years.
(This article was originally published in The Times of India)
