Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!
I am going to speak about the Caspian Framework Convention, which aptly illustrates the significance and convening power of Regional Seas Conventions in the context of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, in short the Tehran Convention, has played a particular role in the promotion of cooperation in the Caspian region, as it steered a new model of interaction over the Caspian Sea. The water body that used to be shared by two states – the Soviet Union and the Islamic Republic of Iran – over a chain of rapidly unrolling historical events suddenly became a geopolitical hotspot between five independent states with vast natural resources, quickly expanding economies, and important transport routes connecting the East and the West.
From 2003 when the Tehran Convention was signed, up until today, it remains the only legally binding document, in the absence of agreement on the legal status of the Caspian. Then the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan hailed the convention as a major breakthrough for lasting peace and cooperation in the region.
Since then, the Tehran Convention has played a vital role in maintaining dynamic regional dialogue between the five littoral states, and helping them address urgent issues of environmental cooperation. Over these years, four protocols have been developed under the Convention:
- the Protocol on Joint Action in Case of Oil Spill Incidents;
- the Protocol on Land-Based Sources of Pollution;
- the Protocol on Protection of Biodiversity; and
- the Protocol on Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment.
Another Protocol on Environmental Monitoring and Data Sharing is currently under development, which promises to be quite a revolutionary legally binding instrument for data exchange and joint environmental monitoring in the region.
So, today we claim due achievements in establishing legal frameworks for environmental cooperation in the Caspian basin. At the same time, there remain acute environmental challenges, such as depletion of the fish stock, degradation of coastal zones, pollution from industrial activities and unsustainable management that can only be effectively addressed through transboundary regional cooperation.
In conclusion, the Tehran Convention, as well as other Regional Seas Conventions, offers an effective platform for addressing the regional dimension of the Agenda 2030 implementation in the Caspian Sea as it stands on the common denominators established by the states that share the ecosystem and allows engaging with stakeholders to set the norms of performance and achievements common for all.
(Speech made by Mr. Mahir Aliyev)
