The Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) is an internationally recognised organization comprised of the world’s leading gas producers aimed at representing and promoting their mutual interests. The objectives of the GECF are to support the sovereign rights of member countries over their natural gas resources and their abilities to independently plan and manage the sustainable, efficient and environmentally conscious development, use and conservation of natural gas resources for the benefit of their citizens. The GECF also seeks to promote dialogue between gas producing nations and consuming countries. Together, the GECF members currently account for almost seventy (70) per cent of the world’s current proven reserves of natural gas.
The current membership of the GECF comprises: Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Venezuela. Kazakhstan, Iraq, Norway, and the Netherlands are observer members.
Its basic structure consists of a Ministerial Meeting (MM) as the highest decision making authority, an Executive Board (EB) and the Office of the Secretary General (SG).
Trinidad and Tobago served as the chair of the Executive Board and held the position of Alternate President of the MM in 2011. During that period this country contributed significantly to the resolution of several issues requiring leadership intervention and ensuring that the GECF was able to deliver on many of its major objectives including the successful staging of the First GECF Gas Summit of Heads of State and Government, held on November 15th 2011 in Doha, Qatar.