2005 - OPEC

panding the role of oil in meeting future world energy demand, such as CO 2 sequestration. The
strategy also addresses the role of OPEC National Oil Companies and encourages enhancing
their competitive performance, as well as developing close cooperation among them in various
areas such as technology, industrial networking, knowledge- and experience-sharing, etc.
The strategy maintains that it is important for OPEC MCs to continue to have an active role
in climate change-related multilateral negotiations, recalling the principle of common but dif-
ferentiated responsibilities, as well as the obligations of industrialised countries with regard to
developing country parties. The strategy also calls for an active and more coordinated role of
OPEC in trade-related negotiations, as well as increased cooperation with other developing
countries, reinforcing the principle of permanent national sovereignty over natural resources,
and recognising the exhaustible and non-renewable character of oil. It also stresses that it is
important for OPEC MCs to continue enhancing their economic and social development by
using the comparative advantage offered by their natural resources.
Dialogue among producers and between producers and consumers constitutes a crucial element
of the strategy. It is recommended that such dialogue should be widened and deepened to
cover more issues of mutual concern, such as security of demand and supply, market stability,
investment, technology and the downstream. Communication is also recognised as a key ele-
ment of the strategy and this calls for, inter alia, a strengthening of the Organization’s public
information capabilities. Finally, the LTS recognises the importance of an enabling environment,
and recommends the strengthening of the OPEC Secretariat to broaden its research activities
and cope with the growing challenges.
OPEC Acting for the Secretary General receives major Italian honour
Vienna, Austria, 31 October 2005
Dr Adnan Shihab-Eldin, Acting for the OPEC Secretary General, has been awarded the
Medal of the President of the Italian Republic. The award was made at the 31st Pio Manzù
Conference in Rimini, Italy, on 30 October, in recognition of “the unparalleled and highly
prestigious international impact of his dedicated strategic commitment” to scientific and energy
matters, to which the major part of his professional career has been devoted.
“The most demanding responsibility facing the world today, that of governing the oil market,
is, to a large part, in the hands of OPEC,“ the citation of the award said, adding that as
“Secretary General (Acting) of OPEC, Dr Adnan Shihab Eldin is currently responsible for the
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