The Fourteenth International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development (IFESD-14) is held in Skopje, North Macedonia from 28 to 30 October 2025. The Forum is jointly organized by the Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources of the Republic of North Macedonia, UNDP North Macedonia, and the five United Nations Regional Commissions: United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA). 

Launched in 2010 by UNECE and UNESCAP, the International Forum on Energy for Sustainable Development (IFESD) has evolved into a leading global platform for advancing sustainable energy. Over time, all five UN Regional Commissions joined as co-organizers, with the Forum hosted in multiple countries across UNECE, UNESCAP, UNESCWA, and UNECA regions, reflecting its truly international scope. 

The Thirteenth Forum, held in Bangkok in 2024, concluded with the Joint Statement on Energy Transition issued by the Executive Secretaries of the United Nations Regional Commissions reaffirming the commitment of participating governments and institutions to advance Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and its interlinkages with the broader 2030 Agenda. The UN Regional Commissions committed to support their member States in accelerating progress and delivering impactful outcomes in the following areas: 

• Strengthening regional and inter-regional cooperation and policy coherence
• Ensuring a just energy transition 
• Accelerating the deployment of renewable energy
• Enhancing energy efficiency across sectors 
• Ensuring viable, equitable and inclusive access 
• Fostering sustainable investment and financing mechanisms
• Aligning energy goals with climate action
• Leverage just energy transition for value addition and inclusive development  

These outcomes align with the Global Stocktake under the UNFCCC, highlighting that inclusive, multi-level cooperation is essential to achieving a just and equitable energy transition. 

Building on these achievements, IFESD-14 in Skopje will be organized under the theme “From Goals to Action: Powering the Future with Sustainable Energy”. It aims to provide a comprehensive perspective on the global energy transition by: 

• Sharing national and regional strategies to accelerate clean energy deployment
• Showcasing innovative technologies and solutions from international organizations, the private sector, and academia
• Presenting financing mechanisms and partnerships to expand investment 
• Ensuring inclusive participation by youth, women, and civil society 

IFESD-14 will convene around 400 representatives from governments, international organizations, business community, international financial institutions, commercial banks, academia, civil society, and experts, with participants expected from more than 60 countries. 

The Forum will feature a High-Level Plenary Session and parallel workshops over three days. The High-Level Plenary Session will provide a strategic overview of global and regional energy trends, explore national and regional policies to accelerate clean energy deployment with social inclusion, and highlight innovative financing mechanisms and partnerships to mobilize investment and advance sustainable energy transitions. 

Thematic discussions throughout the Forum will be held at the following sessions: 

• Energy Connectivity, Resilience, and Security
• SDG 7 Roadmaps as a Policy Instrument: From Development to Implementation
• Opportunities for Coal Mine Methane Mitigation – MRV, Policies, and Best Practices
• Sustainable CRM Management: Strengthening Policy, Technology, and Transparency
• Digitalization of Energy Systems
• Just Energy Transition: Efficiency, Clean Energy, and Workforce Transformation
• Financing Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• Electric Mobility
• Youth in Energy
• Women in Energy
• Managing the Food-Water-Energy Nexus 

As an expected overall outcome, the Forum will inform and guide national strategies on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable investment, while showcasing diverse pathways for achieving a just and inclusive energy transition. Participants will identify key challenges, explore emerging opportunities, and assess capacity-building needs for coordinated, joint action. The discussions will address barriers such as subsidies, low tariffs, limited access to finance, and gaps in information, while highlighting the critical role of innovation and digitalization in advancing sustainable energy systems. In doing so, the Forum will strengthen international cooperation, technology transfer, and cross-border investment to support the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda.