A golden year for OPEC in 2010

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will celebrate its golden anniversary this year, with a series of cross-cultural activities stretching across four continents.

These will culminate in a major anniversary symposium in September that will see prominent OPEC officials – past and present – reflect on the Organization’s successes during its unique 50-year history.

The Austrian capital, Vienna — seat of OPEC’s Secretariat — will provide the location for an exhibition charting the Organization’s development over the past half century. Similar events will be staged in OPEC’s Member Countries in Africa, the Middle East and South America, with the accent on arts and culture. Special commemorative postage stamps have been designed to mark the anniversary in Austria and Member Countries.

Vienna will also witness the grand finale of an energy industry-related quiz that will test the skills of schoolchildren from Member Countries and beyond. At a more visual level, there will be a drawing competition for students from host nation Austria.

Numerous special publications and a redesigned Website will complete the year’s packed line-up, to provide deeper insights into OPEC and its Member Countries and into the many challenges they face in today’s high-tech, globalised, interdependent petroleum sector.

The celebrations are already underway, with the unveiling of the prizewinning design for the 50th anniversary logo on the Website on New Year’s Day.

OPEC was established by five oil-producing developing countries in Baghdad, Iraq, on 14 September 1960. It now has 12 Members committed to a stable oil market, fair and reasonable prices, secure supply and fair returns to investors, as well as supporting sustainable development and addressing global environmental concerns.