The Third OPEC Summit of Heads of State is a milestone event in the organization's history; an important step in the advancement of its unique mission. OPEC's principal aims are the co-ordination and unification of petroleum policies of Member Countries and the determination of the best means for safeguarding their interests, individually and collectively.

The Organization also seeks to devise ways and means of ensuring the stabilization of prices in international oil markets with a view to eliminating harmful and unnecessary fluctuations. In this regard, the Third OPEC Summit will focus on three primary themes:

• Providing Petroleum: OPEC and its member countries are committed to stabilizing world energy markets by supplying the world's petroleum needs in a way that meets consumers' and producers' needs.
• Promoting Prosperity: By providing reliable supplies of petroleum, OPEC makes global economic growth and social development possible for communities around the world.
• Protecting the Planet: OPEC member countries recognize the need to ensure that providing reliable energy supplies is done in an environmentally conscious manner, and are taking concrete steps to protect the world's ecosystems.

One of the Third OPEC Summit's objectives is to develop these themes into an action-oriented declaration.