1st Meeting of the ad hoc Expert Group on the arrangements of the Secretariat of the Convention was held on 18-19 December in Baku

The Ministerial Consultations of the Caspian Littoral States held on 21-22 September 2023 in Geneva decided to establish an ad hoc Expert Group comprised of representatives appointed by the Contracting Parties of the Tehran Convention, aimed at the preparation within the shortest possible timeframe of draft documents on the arrangements of the Secretariat of the Convention, recruitment of personnel, taking into account the equitable representation of Caspian Littoral States, rules of procedure, and financial rules of the Secretariat, as well as its cooperation with United Nations Environment Programme.

Also, according to the abovementioned Decision, the first meeting of the ad hoc Expert Group should have been organized by the end of 2023 in Baku. The meeting was held on 18-19 December 2023 in the premises of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan. The participants included the representatives of Environmental Ministries and Ministries of Foreign Affairs of all five Caspian littoral States and representatives of Tehran Convention interim Secretariat.