5th Meeting of Heads of JODI Partner Organisations

The heads and representatives of the following Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI) partners: Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat), the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Energy Forum, (IEF), and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), met in Algiers on 26 September, ahead of the IEF15 Ministerial, and took account of progress made since their last high-level meeting in Moscow in 2014. The African Energy Commission (AFREC) also attended the meeting in Algiers as an observer.

The meeting of the Heads of the JODI Partners is held every 2 years in association with the IEF Ministerial. The main objective of the meeting is to help determine and set forth an agreed path forward for JODI based on the outcome of consultations with the JODI data-user community and the aspirations of the Partners to deliver ongoing improvements to the Initiative.

The JODI heads took note of the progress made on the JODI-Oil database which now holds oil data from over 110 countries, representing about 90% of global oil supply and demand. The progress made on the JODI-Gas database, launched during the IEF14 Ministerial meeting in Moscow was commended. The JODI-Gas Database now includes data from over 80 countries representing around 90% of global gas supply and demand.

The JODI partners discussed how they can best collaborate with different actors and stakeholders at various stages of the JODI data supply chain. In this regard they also reviewed and endorsed the "JODI Five-Year Action Plan toward 2020" and agreed to focus future actions by the JODI partners on the basis of the plan.

The partners agreed on the importance of maintaining their focus on continuous improvement of the quality, reliability and timeliness of JODI data. They also discussed progress made towards further improving market data transparency by increasing the visibility and reach of JODI, and deliberated the need to utilise data redistribution agencies industry platforms as a key part of this effort. They also discussed efforts to extend JODI’s geographic reach to new countries & regions. In this regard, they welcomed the prospect of developing deepened cooperation with AFREC as well as efforts to improve data transparency of other energy sources such as coal.

At the conclusion of the meeting JODI partners called on IEF ministers and JODI stakeholders in government and industry to continue their support for JODI, and to ensure that the necessary institutional framework is in place to provide comprehensive, reliable, and timely energy data. They further requested that Ministers dedicate adequate resources to national administrations, and called upon industry to make every effort to ensure the timely delivery of energy data so as to facilitate the realisation of IEF minister’s expectations for a global response to the challenge of delivering greater energy data transparency for the good of all.