South African Energy Policy FES Briefing Paper 11| August 2007 Page 11 7. Ensuring physical security of critical energy infrastructure This is not at the top of the energy policy priority list in South Africa but is addressed in other go­vernment policies involving security. 5 South African policy interests and respective mechanisms of international dialogue and arbitrage Following on the 2006 Petersburg Declaration, the 2007 G8 Summit Declaration on Climate Change Energy Efficiency “ invites South Africa – and other O5 states – to adopt the G8 Global Energy Security Principles. ” It has been argued throughout this paper that South African energy policy is largely in accord with the G8 Global Energy Security Principles, as stated in the Petersburg Declaration and as ex­panded upon in the Plan of Action. Further, South Africa has ratified the UNFCCC and has actively complied with its commitments thereunder. Thus, subject to the acknowledge­ment that this is done under the principle of ac­ceptance of “ common but differentiated res­ponsibilities ” as understood in the context of the UNFCCC, it is reasonable to expect that South Africa would be able to adopt a similar relati­onship under the principles of the Petersburg Declaration. As far as international arbitrage under the WTO model is concerned, it must be noted that South Africa was a founding member of the GATT, has been a WTO member since 1995 and takes an active and often leading role in WTO processes. Thus, South Africa is familiar with, subscribes to and supports WTO type dispute settlement. South Africa patently accepts the WTO system as a member. However, there could be improve­ments specifically for developing countries: for example nothing in the current terms of referen­ce for panels requires them to examine the deve­lopment implications of their decisions: although they are authorized to and there is a history of their including such considerations. Including such a requirement for panelists to examine de­velopment implications of decisions would expli­citly place consideration of development goals within the process and facilitate effective resolu­tion of some of the incompatibilities between, for example developed and developing count­ries’ issues around mitigation. Equally, it would make sense for this kind of requirement to be part of South African participation in mecha­nisms to implement the principles in the Peters­burg Declaration, also under a “ common but differentiated responsibilities ” principle, which acknowledges both the common interests of de­veloped and developing countries and their spe­cial needs. About the author: Hilton Lewis Trollip, independent energy consul­tant, based in Johannesburg, South Africa