The Gas Exporting Countries Forum is an international intergovernmental organisation.
The decision to transform an informal association, which has existed since 2001, into an international organisation was made at the 7th GECF Ministerial Meeting held in Moscow on December 23, 2008. The Functioning Agreement of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) officially entered into force on September 30, 2009.
The GECF Headquarters is located in Doha, Qatar.
The GECF’s core objectives include promoting the use of natural gas in the global economy, analysing the current state and forecasting the development of gas markets, exchanging experience, and fostering technological cooperation among member countries.
Philip Mshelbila
Secretary General
Nigeriafrom January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2028
His predecessors in this position included
According to its Statute, the GECF has three governing bodies: the Ministerial Meeting, the Executive Board, and the Secretariat. The Ministerial Meeting is the supreme governing body. Held once a year, it defines the Forum’s general policy, appoints the Secretary General, approves the budget, amendments to the Statute and the composition of the Executive Board.
English is the official language of the GECF.
12member states
12member states
Algeria
Bolivia
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Iran
Libya
Nigeria
Qatar
Russia
Trinidad and Tobago
UAE
Venezuela8observer states
Angola
Azerbaijan
Iraq
Malaysia
Mauritania
Mozambique
Peru
Senegal1dialogue partner
Republic of South AfricaGECF summits are held every other year. The summits were held in Qatar (2011), Russia (2013), Iran (2015), Bolivia (2017), Equatorial Guinea (2019), Qatar (2022), and Algeria (2024).
The declarations adopted at the past summits contain provisions stipulating the sovereignty of states over their natural resources and their right to define their policy in natural gas extraction and distribution on their own, highlighting the importance of maximising natural gas potential in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, while also reaffirming the priorities of the GECF member countries, including the need to ensure the security of demand and supply on energy markets, preserve long-term contracts for maintaining the investment appeal of the gas industry, and a commitment to working together for countering discriminatory measures on behalf of gas consuming nations.
The GECF Secretariat regularly publishes analytical documents. Since February 2023, it has been releasing monthly gas market reports, which have been featuring a section on short-term forecasts since 2024. In addition, the GECF Secretariat publishes annual gas market reviews and a long-term forecast for the global gas market until 2050, which are designed to offer government agencies, market participants and experts an impartial view of the gas industry.
| Year | Ministerial meeting | Summit |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 12th GECF Ministerial Meeting (Cairo, Egypt, June 2, 2011); 13th GECF Ministerial Meeting (Doha, Qatar, November 13, 2011) | 1st GECF Summit (Doha, Qatar, November 15, 2011) |
| 2012 | 14th GECF Ministerial Meeting (Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, November 21, 2012) | - |
| 2013 | 15th GECF Ministerial Meeting (Tehran, Iran, November 3, 2013) | 2nd GECF Summit (Moscow, Russia, July 1, 2013) |
| 2014 | 16th GECF Ministerial Meeting (Doha, Qatar, December 16, 2014) | - |
| 2015 | 17th GECF Ministerial Meeting (Tehran, Iran, November 21, 2015) | 3rd GECF Summit (Tehran, Iran, November 23, 2015) |
| 2016 | 18th GECF Ministerial Meeting (Doha, Qatar, November 17, 2016) | - |
| 2017 | 19th GECF Ministerial Meeting (Moscow, Russia, October 4, 2017) | 4th GECF Summit (Santa Cruz, Bolivia, November 24, 2017) |
| 2018 | 20th GECF Ministerial Meeting (Doha, Qatar, October 29, 2018) | - |
| 2019 | 21st GECF Ministerial Meeting (Moscow, Russia, November 21, 2019) | 5th GECF Summit (Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, November 29, 2019) |
| 2020 | 22nd GECF Ministerial Meeting (Algeria, November 12, 2020 (via videoconference)) | - |
| 2021 | 23rd GECF Ministerial Meeting (Bolivia, November 16, 2021 (via videoconference)) | - |
| 2022 | 24th GECF Ministerial Meeting (Cairo, Egypt, October 25, 2022) | 6th GECF Summit (Doha, Qatar, February 22, 2022) |
| 2023 | 25th GECF Ministerial Meeting (Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, October 10, 2023) | - |
| 2024 | 26th GECF Ministerial Meeting (Tehran, Iran, December 8, 2024) | 7th GECF Summit (Algiers, Algeria, March 2, 2024) |
| 2025 | 27th GECF Ministerial Meeting (Doha, Qatar, October 23, 2025) | - |