GECF (Gas Exporting Countries Forum)

Overview:

What is GECF?

GECF stands for Gas Exporting Countries Forum. The GECF is an intergovernmental organization of the world's leading gas-exporting countries that provides a framework for exchanging experience and information among its member countries.

The GECF is dominant in global energy markets and among international energy organisations. Together, the GECF member countries represent 72% of the global proven gas reserves, 44% of marketed production, 56% of exports by pipeline and 52% of LNG exports worldwide.

Establishment of GECF:

The idea to create a forum for gas-exporting countries emerged at the meeting in 2001 in Tehran, and later the idea was supported by Russia. On 23 December 2008, at the 7th Ministerial Meeting in Moscow, the agreement to establish an organization was signed.

Objectives:

As the group of the world's leading gas-exporting countries, the GECF seeks to build a mechanism for a meaningful dialogue between gas producers and consumers in order to improve the stability and security of supply and demand in gas markets around the world.

Headquarters:

The headquarters of the GECF is situated in Doha, Qatar. Until 2007, the GECF was a platform for exchanging experience in the gas sector, which did not have a permanent leadership, budget or headquarters.

GECF Members:

There are 12 full-fledged Members of the GECF and they are Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, UAE and Venezuela.

And there are 7 states hold the status of observers Angola, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, Mozambique, Norway, and Peru.

Official Language:

The GECF works in the English language.

Organizational Structure of GECF:

Since 2008, the GECF has had three governing tools, the Ministerial Meeting (held once a year), the Executive Board Meeting and the Secretariat.