THE WORLD PETROLEUM CONGRESSES The permanent organization of the World programme and make the necessary arrangements for Petroleum Congresses is an international, non- the next congress. governmental body. It was established in 1933 to The Permanent Council includes a maximum of provide a forum for petroleum science and tech- three representatives from each Permanent Council nology, and has since extended its scope to include country. The Executive Board includes one reppetroleum economics and management. resentative of each of the fourteen ‘founder’ member A congress is held every four years at which papers countries and one representative each from two of are presented and discussions held on a wide range the non-founder countries. The Scientific Programme of subjects relating to the petroleum industry, from Committee includes representatives of nine Executive geology and exploration to refining and Board countries. The Congress Arrangements Competrochemicals, including supply and demand, reser- mittee consists of the Chairman and Deputy Chairves, investments, environmental issues, health, safety man of the Executive Board, the Treasurer, the and manpower. Political and promotional material is Chairman of the Scientific Programme Committee, excluded. the Chairman of the host country's organizing com-There are 40 National Comniittees, of which 34 are mittee and the Secretary-General. members of the Permanent Council. The Permanent Before a country may form a National Committee Council usually meets only during the congress and it must submit details of its sponsoring organization is concerned with the election of the President and and complete identification of the membership of the other WPC officers, the election of new member coun- National Committee to the Secretary-General of the tries, both to the Permanent Council and to the Execu- WPC, for approval by the Executive Board. Sponsortive Board, and the selection of the venue for the next ing organizations must be non-commercial bodies congress. concerned with the science and technology of The Executive Board is responsible for the manage- petroleum, or with the organization of the petroleum ment and direction of the World Petroleum Con- industry nationwide. National Committees are expecgresses. It delegates to the Scientific Programme ted to co-ordinate their general activities with the Committee responsibility for developing the pro- WPC. gramme of each congress, and to the Congress The Secretariat of the WPC is based in London, Arrangements Committee responsibility for co- where the first congress was held in 1933. Subsequent ordinating local arrangements with the host country's congresses have been held in Paris (1937), The Hague organizing committee. (1951), Rome (1955), New York (1959), Frankfurt Between the four-yearly meetings of the congress, (1963), Mexico City (1967), Moscow (1971), Tokyo there are meetings, every year, of the Executive Board, (1 9 7 9