OPEC kicks off 60th anniversary celebration today

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), today kicked off the celebrations of its 60th anniversary by holding a special technical workshop ‘OPECat60’ via videoconference.

The workshop was declared open by the Secretary-General of OPEC, HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo and attended by representatives from Member-Countries, the DoC countries and reputable institutions.

“Surviving 60 years is a monumental achievement in and of itself for such an organization, but especially so for one representing one of the most volatile commodities – oil. OPEC has not only overcome every difficulty, it has thrived,” the SG said.

“Sixty years on from Baghdad, the world now sees OPEC and its partners more than ever as the essence of helping ensure sustainable stability on the oil market,” Barkindo emphasised.

He concluded with providing a few examples of OPEC’s achievements over the last six decades, including founding the DoC and the CoC, enhancing the producer-consumer dialogue and playing a key role in the creation of the @ief_dialogue and @JODI_Data.

The SG also commended the historic DoC: “Bringing together 24 sovereign producing nations was unparalleled in the history of the oil industry, and very soon reintroduced a long-absent element of stability to the market.”

He continued: “The Organization has also put inclusive dialogue to the fore, and cooperation has been a central element of our successes and achievements. This has been aided by a clear Statute that all Members respect and understand.”

The SG quoted Winston Churchill when considering OPEC’s past, present and future: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Topics of discussion will include energy access, energy poverty eradication, environmental protection, sustainable development and post COVID-19 world.

The OPEC Secretariat hosted the “OPEC at 60” technical workshop today as part of its celebration to mark the Organization’s diamond anniversary.