It has been recognized by the international community that it has entered a transition period away from excessive reliance on hydrocarbons as a source of energy towards a more diversified pattern of energy consumption. Excessive and wasteful consumption of energy in the industrialized countries coupled with the fact that oil was used more than any other source of energy as a result of artificially low maintained prices led to rapid depletion of oil resources as well as a relative scarcity of hydrocarbons.
Energy plays a crucial role in the development of the developing countries.
In order to ensure an organized and orderly energy transition period as referred to above and give the required support to the development process, notwithstanding the responsibilities of developed countries for conservation, as they are consumers of more than 80 per cent of energy, it will be necessary, inter alia , to strengthen cooperation among developing countries in the field of energy. Without prejudice to national interests and commitments, a comprehensive set of short, medium and long-term measures and steps have to be adopted in areas such as national energy deficits, development of new energy sources, uneven geographical distribution of exploration and resource evaluation efforts, efficient use of energy, development of appropriate technologies, processing and downstream activities, information and training, as well as the other measures related to energy referred to in this section, in compliance with the principle of full and permanent sovereignty of States over their natural resources. Priority of Energy-supplies to Developing Countries 41. The Conference recommended that a meeting of concerned State agencies and enterprises to be held in Vienna in the first half of 1982 should explore the ways and means to further strengthen coordination among developing countries in energy development, supplies and rationalization of energy consumption, and promote direct Government to Government deals. Ways and means to make fuller use of existing refining capacities in developing countries with a view to exchange output between refineries in order to meet their consumption patterns, without prejudice to national interests, commitments and overall refinery economics.