TEHRAN – Iran is once again bringing the Caspian Sea to the forefront of regional cooperation by hosting COP7 of the Tehran Convention, with officials describing the meeting as an important opportunity to strengthen international efforts to protect the shared marine environment.
The seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP7) to the Tehran Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea is being held in Tehran from September 20 to October 1.
Shina Ansari, head of the Department of Environment, said the conference, being held in Tehran after a three-year hiatus, provides an important opportunity to strengthen international cooperation on protecting the Caspian Sea.
Speaking about the international event, Ansari said the meeting is being hosted by the Department of Environment to revive the regional mechanism for cooperation on Caspian Sea protection.
She noted that expert-level meetings of COP7 have begun in Tehran, bringing together representatives of the Caspian littoral states and international organizations. The expert sessions will continue through Tuesday, followed by a high-level meeting on Wednesday.
Ansari said Iran has sought to provide a platform in the capital for the environmental challenges facing the Caspian Sea to be addressed and followed up within a regional and international framework.
During the four-day meeting, participants will discuss key issues concerning the protection of the Caspian Sea environment, regional cooperation, common challenges, and ways to strengthen collaboration among the littoral states. Decisions will also be made on relevant documents and issues agreed upon by the participating countries.
The environment chief stressed that hosting the meeting in Tehran is the result of continued efforts by Iran and the Department of Environment to keep regional mechanisms for Caspian Sea protection active.
She added that Iran’s hosting of the international gathering provides a valuable opportunity to place Caspian Sea issues higher on the regional agenda and pave the way for more effective cooperation among the littoral states.
Ansari said Iran will seek to make full use of regional and international dialogue to pursue key shared concerns related to the Caspian Sea and lay the groundwork for joint decisions and practical measures to protect the body of water.
At the conclusion, the views and discussions of participating countries will be summarized in a conference statement, reflecting the member states’ positions and areas of agreement on the most important environmental issues facing the Caspian Sea.
For Iran, Ansari noted, the Caspian Sea is a shared natural heritage and a valuable asset for present and future generations. She said holding COP7 of the Tehran Convention in Tehran, under Iran’s hosting and with the efforts of the Department of Environment, represents an important step toward strengthening regional and international cooperation to protect the Caspian Sea.
The Tehran Convention, which provides the main framework for cooperation among Caspian littoral states on environmental protection, marks its 20th anniversary of entry into force this year. The Islamic Republic of Iran will assume the rotating presidency of the Tehran Convention for the upcoming term.
Tehran Convention
The need for joint protection and management of the Caspian environment and its resources has been a long-standing concern for the Caspian littoral states. In 1998, the Caspian Environment Programme (CEP) was established as a regional initiative aimed at stopping the deterioration of the Caspian Sea’s environmental conditions of and promoting sustainable development for the long-term benefit of the Caspian population.
Since its inception, the CEP has tackled various environmental issues by developing a coordinated management structure, creating Strategic and National Action Plans, and implementing transnational measures to address imminent threats to the Caspian environment. Funded by the littoral states, the European Union, and the international community through the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the CEP has worked to formalize its structure and activities by concluding the Tehran Convention.
In 2003, the Caspian littoral states: Republic of Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, and Turkmenistan, signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention). After the ratification by all the five Governments, the Tehran Convention entered into force on August 12, 2006.
The Tehran Convention serves as an overarching legal framework that establishes general requirements and an institutional mechanism for environmental protection in the Caspian Sea region. It is based on principles such as the precautionary principle, the polluter pays principle, and the principle of access to and exchange of information. The two major areas of focus are (i) prevention, reduction, and control of pollution, and (ii) protection, preservation, and restoration of the marine environment. The Convention includes provisions on environmental impact assessment as well as general obligations related to environmental monitoring, research and development.
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