Presentation of the JODI at the 8th IEF

The Joint Organisations Data Initiative was presented to the 8th International Energy Forum in Osaka in the 4th Session of September 23, 2002. However, even most of the speakers at the Opening Session, including the Ministers of Japan, Saudi Arabia and US, already commended the Initiative in their speeches.

As the journalists also wanted to know more about the Initiative, an unplanned Press Conference on the Initiative was organized on September 22, 2002. Despite the very short notice over 25 journalists attended the meeting. After the introduction on the Initiative, covering the background, objectives, current results and the way forward, the floor for questions was then opened. The question-and-answer session went on for 20 minutes with many interesting inquiries on the databases, the participation, and the next step of the Initiative. Many articles in the national and international press were written the following days highlighting the Initiative.

The presentation of the Initiative was on the Agenda of the last Session, after the presentations of Mexico and APERC on APEC co-operation, the presentation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the Permanent Secretariat of the IEF, the presentation of the European Commission on EU Co-operation, and the presentation of the UK. Almost all of the first five speakers in the session clearly commended the Initiative, with the UK proposing to explore the role of the Permanent Secretariat in support of the Initiative.

This had paved the way for the presentation on the Initiative itself, which was shared between the IEA and OPEC on behalf of the six organisations.

Thirteen countries and organizations then took the floor to comment on one or several of the points presented in the session. Almost all of them commended the work done by the six organizations, including Norway, US, Kuwait and India.

The Organizations felt very pleased and proud with such an overwhelming recognition of our common contribution over the last two years.

he Initiative has raised the profile of Oil Statistics, indeed. However, it has also raised the expectation on Oil Statistics. The organisations realize and commit not to disappoint the expectation. The database, its completeness, its timeliness and its reliability is the first challenge for this. Consequently, the organisations will keep up the momentum and put more effort for having the database as complete, as reliable and as timely as possible.