During the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 26 August to 4 September 2002, a plan of implementation was adopted which called upon the international community to take joint actions and to work together at all levels to improve access to reliable and affordable energy services for sustainable development. The African ministers of energy who attended the Summit recognized the need to collaborate together to follow up this plan of implementation. The Government of Uganda took the initiative of requesting the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to assist in organizing a ministerial forum on energy.