The Third Meeting of the Global Forum on Sustainable Energy (GFSE-3) was held from 27-29 November 2002 at the Wallzentrum of the University of Graz in the City of Graz, Austria. The meeting addressed public-private partnerships for rural energy development. It sought to examine the relevant outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and contribute to the further development of initiatives to promote implementation, such as the EU initiative on Energy for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development. GFSE-3 was convened by Irene Freudenschuss-Reichl, Special Representative and Assistant Director-General for UN Affairs at the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and co-sponsored by the Austrian government, the City of Graz, the government of Sweden, UNDP, UNEP and UNIDO. Approximately 180 participants attended, representing government agencies, UN bodies, business and industry, non-governmental organizations and academia.

Under the overall topic of public-private partnerships for rural energy development, GFSE-3 included Plenary sessions focusing on: setting the stage; an introduction to public-private partnerships for rural energy development; innovative financial instruments for private sector involvement in rural energy development; making it work in Africa; advancing implementation of the energy outcomes of the WSSD; making it work in Asia; regional initiatives; and the role of operational international organizations and funding agencies for rural energy development. Participants heard presentations and engaged in moderated discussions on these topics. On Friday, 29 November, participants convened for a concluding panel on the way forward after the WSSD in Johannesburg.