HONG KONG, April 10 -- Officials and experts from developing countries gathered here Friday to discuss south-south cooperation for sustainable development and the transition to sustainable energy systems.

The forum presents participants with a unique opportunity to identify and to promote capacity-building and investment on new and innovative technology solutions, particularly for sustainable energy, share best practices in social and environmental policies as well as economic growth within the framework of South-South and Triangular Cooperation, with a view to encourage job creation and to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in the developing countries, John W. Ashe, president of the 68th Session of the U.N. General Assembly, said at the High-Level Forum on South-South Cooperation for Sustainable Development.

Participants at the forum called for the increased use of new and renewable energy resources, more efficient use of energy, greater reliance on advanced energy technologies, including cleaner fossil fuel technologies, and the sustainable use of traditional energy resources.

"Global investment in clean energy rose 17 percent to 270 billion U.S. dollars in 2014. Renewable energy technologies are spreading rapidly into developing countries," said Elliott Harris, director of the New York Office of the United NationsEnvironment Program.

"Globally, some 6.5 million people are currently directly or indirectly employed in renewable energy sector, more than double the amount of jobs in 2014. The number is highly likely to reach 20 million by 2030," Harris continued.

Nevertheless, 1.3 billion people globally continue to lack electricity. Forty-five percent of the world's population still relies on wood, charcoal, animal or crop waste or other solid fuels to cook their food and heat their homes.

The "energy-poor" suffer the health consequences of inefficient combustion of solid fuels in inadequately ventilated buildings, which kills nearly 4 million people a year, most of them women and children.

Participants agreed that a global transformation of the way energy is produced and consumed is needed to provide sustainable energy for all, to satisfy rapid growth in energy demand, particularly in many developing countries and emerging economies, and to diminish the negative impact of climate change.