Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries

The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) is a multi-governmental organization headquartered in Kuwait which coordinates energy policies among oil-producing Arab nations. OAPEC's primary objective is safeguarding the cooperation of numerous members in various aspects of economic activity within the oil industry as well as maintaining strong relations among themselves; to provide legitimate means to preserve the members' individual and collective efforts within the industry; unite on-going efforts for the procurement of oil; provide access to consumer markets on fair and reasonable terms; and provide conditions, adequate capital, and experience of investors in the oil industry.

History

OAPEC was originally intended to be a conservative Arab political organization which, by restricting membership to countries whose main export was oil, would exclude governments seen as radical — such as those of Egypt and Algeria. This organizational exclusivity was bolstered by an additional rule in the organization's charter requiring the three founders' approval of all new members. The original aim was to control the economic weapon of potential oil embargo and prevent its use caused by popular emotion. Iraq initially declined to join, preferring to work under the umbrella of the Arab League, considering OAPEC too conservative. Equally the three founders considered Iraq too radical to be desirable as a member. However, by early 1972, the criterion for admission had changed to oil being a significant source of revenue (rather than the principal source) of a prospective member nation; and Algeria, Iraq, Syria and Egypt had been admitted. Consequently, OAPEC became a much more activist organization, contrary to the original intention.

In 1979 Egypt was expelled from OAPEC for signing the Camp David Accords, although it was readmitted a decade later. 

In 1982 the Arab League's Arab Petroleum Congress (founded in 1959) merged into OAPEC's Arab Energy Conference (founded in 1979), which has continued to meet periodically through at least 2014.

OAPEC is regarded as a regional, specialized international organization focusing on organizing cooperation in oil development, collective projects, and regional integration.

Organizational structure 
 The Judicial Tribunal mitigates disputes between member states; interpretations of the OAPEC Agreement; disputes with a petroleum company operating in its member states' territory, and anything else that falls into OAPEC's jurisdiction or that the Council of Ministers submits to the tribunal. The Judicial Tribunal must unevenly consist of at least seven and no more than eleven judges from Arab countries. The tribunal's judgments are final and binding, and will be enforceable within the territories of residing members.

See also 
 List of countries by oil production
 Arab lobby in the United States

Footnotes

External links 
 OAPECORG.ORG website
 OAPEC information from Saudi Arabia
 OPEC website
 OPEC and OAPEC, from Kuwait
 Will Iraq Be a Global Gas Pump? The (Re)Making of a Petro-State by Michael T. Klare, The Huffington Post, 14 July 2009

Category:Foreign relations of Algeria
Category:Foreign relations of Bahrain
Category:Foreign relations of Egypt
Category:Foreign relations of Iraq
Category:Foreign relations of Kuwait
Category:Foreign relations of Libya
Category:Foreign relations of Qatar
Category:Foreign relations of Saudi Arabia
Category:Foreign relations of Syria
Category:Foreign relations of Tunisia
Category:Foreign relations of the United Arab Emirates
Category:International energy organizations
Category:Petroleum organizations
Category:Petroleum politics
Category:Intergovernmental organizations