Implementation and Operational Authorities Meeting under the Aktau Protocol was held on 8-10 October 2024

Key objectives of the meeting included finalizing the Caspian Sea Plan Concerning Regional Cooperation in Combating Oil Pollution in Cases of Emergency, conducting the Table Top ALPHA exercise, exchanging updates on National Contingency Plans, and introducing the Readiness Evaluation Tool for Oil Spills (RETOS). Participants also reviewed future activities and budgets for the Protocol’s implementation beyond 2023.

A major milestone was the finalization of the Caspian Sea Plan, now ready for submission to the Seventh Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Tehran Convention (COP7). The ALPHA exercise, led by Kazakhstan, tested communication and resource-sharing mechanisms among Caspian States, with discussions on liability and assistance frameworks.

Parties shared progress on their National Contingency Plans, highlighting advancements and challenges. The importance of international conventions like the OPRC (International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation) was underscored for accessing technical support and cross-border assistance during large-scale incidents.

The RETOS platform was introduced to assess oil spill readiness, with Parties encouraged to explore its application nationally. The meeting concluded with recommendations for future exercises, training initiatives, and sharing case studies to enhance regional oil spill response capacity.