Documents

The Caspian Sea is the largest completely enclosed body of salt water in the world and constitutes a particularly fragile ecosystem. It contains great fishery resources, including 90% of the world’s stock of sturgeon, as well as vast oil and gas deposits in the subsoil. It is crossed by important transportation routes connecting Europe and Central Asia. For much of the twentieth century it was within the exclusive domain of Iran and the USSR, with the latter enjoying naval dominance. With the collapse of the Soviet Union the geopolitical situation in the region changed significantly. Instead of two, there are currently five riparian states – Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan – each filing differing legal claims.

Strategy for Civil Society Engagement in the Protection of the Caspian Sea Marine Environment was presented at the COP3 in Aktau, Kazakhstan, 10–12 August 2011. It contains an analysis and a number of recommendations to improve access to information and participation in decision-making and action towards the implementation of the Tehran Convention and its Protocols at the local, national and regional levels.