The 46th Executive Board (EB) Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) took place on 12-14 September in Doha, Qatar, in a hybrid format. The meeting was presided over by the Chairperson of the Board, Mr Dmitry Semyonov, Executive Board member from Russia.
Distinguished representatives from GECF member countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Bolivia, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela, along with Observer countries Azerbaijan, Iraq, Malaysia, and Mozambique, participated in the meeting.
The Executive Board addressed various key topics during the meeting, resulting in a series of decisions aimed at advancing cooperation and enhancing the Forum's effectiveness in the global energy landscape.
HE Eng. Mohamed Hamel, Secretary General of the GECF, said: “This meeting marks significant progress in our collective efforts to strengthen global gas cooperation and address the challenges of the evolving energy landscape. Our commitment to excellence, foresight, and inclusivity will guide us toward success.”
At the request of the Secretary General, the Board overserved a moment of silence in solidarity with member country Libya, where a devastating natural disaster wreaked has caused the loss of precious lives and damage to properties.
The key item on the agenda was the new 5-Year Working Plan of the GECF Secretariat, which outlines the way forward for the organisation up to 2028. The Secretariat’s programme of work and budget for year 2024 were also approved.
Additional topics addressed were the GECF’s active participation in COP28, being held in another member country, UAE, and the preparations for the 25th Ministerial Meeting (October 2023) and the 7th Summit of Heads of State and Government (February 2024).
The meeting also featured sessions on Gas Research Institute, short-term gas market report, long-term gas market report (Global Gas Outlook), international efforts to reduce plastic pollution, and a presentation on MOUs with peer organisations.
The Executive Board is a governing body of the GECF, second only to the supreme authority vested in the Ministerial Meeting. It directs the operational affairs of the Forum, implements the decisions of the Ministerial Meetings, and considers the yearly Programme of Work of the Secretariat for further approval by the Ministerial Meeting, in accordance with the GECF Statute, Long-Term Strategy, and the 5-Year Working Plan.