Legal Officer

Dr Sayyed Hassan Mousavi is the Legal Officer at the GECF, with over 20 years of expertise in international energy law, cross-border negotiations, and legal strategy. He previously served as Director of Legal Affairs at the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and has managed complex contracts, arbitration, and compliance matters across global jurisdictions.

He holds a PhD in Law, is a member of the IBA and AIEN, and has completed executive training at Qatar University and Harvard Business School.

The mission of the Legal Office of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) is to safeguard the legal integrity, institutional interests, and governance framework of the Secretariat. The Legal Office provides authoritative legal advice and strategic guidance to ensure that the activities, decisions, and operations of the Forum are fully consistent with the GECF Statute, internal regulations, and applicable host-country and international legal frameworks.

Through proactive legal counsel and rigorous legal oversight, the Legal Office supports the Secretary General, Governing Bodies, and the Secretariat in promoting legal certainty, institutional accountability, and sound decision-making, while strengthening the Forum’s credibility and effectiveness as an international organization in the global energy landscape.

The Legal Officer (general counsel) serves as the principal legal adviser to the Secretary General and senior management of the GECF Secretariat. The role encompasses providing legal opinions, guidance, and support on all matters arising from the Secretariat’s internal operations, institutional governance, and external engagements with Member Countries, international organizations, and third parties.

The Legal Officer oversees the legal aspects of the Secretariat’s contractual and procurement activities, including the drafting, review, negotiation, and interpretation of agreements, memoranda of understanding, and other legal instruments. The role also includes managing dispute resolution and arbitration matters, ensuring compliance with applicable legal standards, and advising on risk management and institutional liability.

In addition, the Legal Officer ensures that the Secretariat’s policies, procedures, and practices are aligned with the GECF Statute, Governing Bodies’ decisions, Staff Regulations, and principles of international law. The Legal Officer evaluates legal issues of relevance to the Forum, formulates recommendations for the Executive Board and Ministerial Meeting, and monitors legal developments and regulatory trends in the global energy sector that may affect the interests of GECF and its Member Countries.