About CECECO
Economic Cooperation Organization Clean Energy Centre (CECECO) is an intergovernmental regional organization aimed at advancing clean energy initiatives across the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). Headquartered in Baku, Azerbaijan, CECECO is integrated into United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC). The Centre’s mission is to promote and support investment projects in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency, mobilize financial and technical resources and drive climate action through collaboration, and capacity-building. The Charter of the Centre was adopted by the ECO Council of Foreign Ministers on 27 November 2021, where Azerbaijan was selected as the host country for the Center.
History
The technical and institutional design of the CECECO is the result of a comprehensive consultative process undertaken between 2020 and 2022, between UNIDO and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) secretariat. The process included the development of a baseline and needs assessment and was closely aligned with the ECO’s priority agenda on energy, trade, and transport.
The 25th Meeting of the ECO Council of Ministers (COM), held on 27 November 2021 adopted the CECECO Charter and approved the Republic of Azerbaijan as the host country.
The soft launch of CECECO took place in November 2024 during COP29 in Baku by the Presidency of Azerbaijan as part of several regional green pledges, including initiatives on green energy zones and cross-border power corridors.
On September 9, 2025 the ECO Secretariat convened the first Board of Governors meeting of CECECO, marking a historic milestone in the region’s clean energy transition. The meeting brought together representatives of the ECO Member States, international partners, and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Along with other decisions, the Board of Governors adopted a decision on the appointment of Ms. Aysel Yagubova as the first Executive Director of CECECO. Ms. Yagubova had been serving as Interim Director since May 2025 and officially assumed her role as Executive Director on 9 September 2025. Ms. Yagubova will lead the Centre through its formative years, building partnerships and positioning CECECO as a regional hub for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Mission
According to the Charter of CECECO, the Center shall promote the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency, and enhance capabilities of national institutions of ECO Member States. The Center shall also provide support in relation to sustainable energy related issues and mobilize financial and technical resources to assist the implementation of low carbon project activities in ECO region.
Vision
The overall objective of the Centre is to contribute to improving access to modern, affordable, reliable and sustainable energy services, strengthening energy resilience and security and reducing the negative externalities of the energy system (e.g. local pollution and greenhouse gas emissions) by creating an enabling environment for the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency markets. Through its targeted efforts, the CECECO will contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7, 9, and 13, by promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, industrialization, and environmental sustainability in the region.