History of the Convention

Also known as Tehran Convention after the city where it was adopted in November 2003, the Convention aims at protecting the Caspian environment from all sources of pollution and to protect, preserve and restore the marine environment of the Caspian Sea. It is based on a number of underlying principles including the polluter pay principle and the principle of access to information. The Convention includes provisions on sustainable and rational use of the living resources of the Caspian Sea, as well as provisions on environmental impact assessment and environmental monitoring, research and development.

As stressed by the former UN Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, the signing of the Tehran Convention is a “significant step forward for the region” and once ratified “this landmark treaty will benefit the health and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people”.

The signing of the Convention marked the culmination of eight years inter-governmental negotiation process which has been driven under the auspices of UNEP within the framework of the Caspian Environment Programme. Following the ratification by all five Governments of the Caspian littoral states, the Tehran Convention entered into force on 12th August 2006.

Four ancillary Protocols to the Convention are currently under negotiation. The Protocols cover the four priority areas of concern namely: 1) Protocol on Conservation of Biodiversity, 2) Protocol for the Protection of the Caspian Sea against Pollution from Land based Sources and Activities, 3) Protocol concerning Regional Preparedness, Response and Cooperation in Combatting Oil Pollution Incidents, and 4) Protocol on Environment Impact Assessment in Transboundary Context.