Ministers deliver expanded mandate on critical minerals and build institutional ties with key countries around the world including Brazil, Colombia, India and Viet Nam
Global energy leaders met in Paris from February 18 to 19, 2026, for the International Energy Agency’s Ministerial Meeting, affirming the IEA’s central role in international cooperation to address the major energy challenges and opportunities facing the world.
The two-day event was attended by top government officials from a record 54 countries, with some 40 of them at Ministerial level. Top executives from 55 companies, with a combined market capitalisation of $14 trillion, as well as leaders from a range of intergovernmental organisations, also participated.
At the Ministerial, IEA Member governments unanimously agreed to move ahead on building deeper institutional ties with Brazil, Colombia, India and Viet Nam – and to expanded cooperation on critical minerals through the IEA’s Critical Minerals Security Programme.
“These two days in Paris have reaffirmed how essential energy is to our daily lives – it is the invisible driving force behind everything we do. Under the umbrella of knowledge of the International Energy Agency, we have once again seen that international cooperation is key,” said Deputy Prime Minister Sophie Hermans of the Netherlands, who chaired the Ministerial. “Our priority is clear: secure, affordable and sustainable energy – and resilient systems that can endure in an uncertain world.”
“This Ministerial Meeting, our largest ever, affirmed the immense value of the IEA at a moment when global energy demand is rising and the challenges facing the energy system are intensifying. In this context, our wide range of objective data and analysis is more important than ever,” said IEA Executive Director, Fatih Birol.
“In a strong step forward for global energy governance, key countries such as Brazil, Colombia, India and Viet Nam are strengthening their ties with the IEA. This puts the IEA Family’s share of global energy use at more than 80%, up from less than 40% ten years ago. With major energy issues high on the international agenda, we stand ready to support governments with the insights they need to plan for the future, helping leaders deliver on their goals of ensuring greater energy security, affordability and sustainability,” Birol added.
The Chair’s Summary from the Ministerial acknowledged the IEA’s significant contributions to advancing the energy goals of its Members for more than five decades, noting its strong ability to adapt and expand as the energy sector has evolved. It also stressed the Agency’s ongoing importance as countries work to ensure energy security, affordability and sustainability, pointing to its leading data and analysis as a trusted source of information for decision makers worldwide.
In a video address at the opening of the Ministerial, President Emmanuel Macron of France, the host nation of the IEA, said: “Through its in-depth analyses, and the technical expertise of its team, the IEA, under the leadership of its Executive Director Fatih Birol, plays an essential role. It enlightens us to help us guarantee our energy security and steer the energy transition.”
In a special declaration, Ministers from IEA Member countries endorsed expanding cooperation under the IEA Critical Minerals Security Programme to address rising risks to global critical mineral supply chains. Highlighting the Programme as a key international platform for ensuring mineral security, they called for the IEA to continue to build out its data tools, while expanding collaborative exercises and guidance on topics such as stockpiling. Such measures, they said, would support broader efforts to diversify mineral supply chains and build resilience to supply shocks.
In addition, IEA Ministers approved new phases of institutional ties with several key countries around the world that are increasingly shaping energy trends. They unanimously invited Colombia to become the Agency’s 33rd Member. Responding to a request from the Brazilian government, IEA Members agreed to invite Brazil to begin the process of becoming a full Member.
They also all welcomed recent developments in discussions with India following the Indian government’s request to become a full IEA Member. And Viet Nam was announced as the newest member of the IEA Family, joining as an Association country.
Further strengthening the IEA’s leadership on key energy issues, Member countries approved the integration of the Clean Cooking Alliance into the Agency. This establishes the IEA as the principal multilateral forum for expanding clean cooking solutions, helping countries and industry speed up efforts to extend access to the more than 2 billion people who still lack it.
The announcement comes as the IEA prepares to host its second Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, from July 9 to 10, 2026. In a high-level dialogue at the Ministerial Meeting, leaders discussed progress since the first IEA Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa in 2024, as well as recent approaches and initiatives that have proven effective.
Two other high-level dialogues featured discussions on safeguarding energy security in the Age of Electricity and on investing in Ukraine’s future energy security, with the participation of Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Denys Shmyhal. The 3rd annual IEA Energy Innovation Forum took place in conjunction with the Ministerial Meeting on February 18.
It brought together participants from government, industry, start-ups, and the investment and research communities, allowing for in-depth exchanges on topics related to energy innovation policy and development of the innovation ecosystem. Topics covered include innovations to support resilient electricity grids, fusion energy, and sustainable fuels, as well as the links between innovation, technology supply chains and economic competitiveness.