Seventh Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Tehran Convention held in Tehran

During the working sessions, the Contracting Parties considered a wide range of issues reflected in the Ministerial Statement and Decisions of COP7, including arrangements for the Tehran Convention Secretariat and the implementation of key environmental agreements adopted under the Convention. Discussions covered the Aktau Protocol, which strengthens regional preparedness and cooperation in responding to oil pollution incidents; the Moscow Protocol, addressing pollution from land-based sources and activities; and the Protocol on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, which provides a framework for cooperation when activities may have significant environmental effects across borders. The Parties also considered progress under the Ashgabat Protocol on the conservation of biological diversity, as well as negotiations on the Protocol on Monitoring, Assessment and Information Exchange and the Environmental Monitoring Programme.

The discussions also addressed Caspian Sea level fluctuations and climate change, including the draft Action Plan of the Caspian States on Sea Level Fluctuation and scientific cooperation; the Strategic Convention Action Programme and projects and resource mobilization; and cooperation with regional and international organizations. 

The outcomes of these discussions were consolidated in the Ministerial Statement and Decisions of the Seventh Meeting of the Conference of the Parties, which were considered and adopted during the High-level Segment on 23 September. The High-level Segment also included statements by the Heads of Delegation of the Contracting Parties and representatives of the Secretariat. 

2026 marks the 20th anniversary of the Tehran Convention, providing an opportunity to reflect on two decades of cooperation among the five Caspian littoral states and to look ahead to the challenges and priorities of the next decade. As Mahir Aliyev, Coordinator of the Tehran Convention Secretariat, noted in his address: “COP7 marks an important moment for the Tehran Convention and for the Caspian Sea. The challenges facing the Caspian—from declining sea levels and biodiversity loss to pollution and the impacts of climate change—are increasingly urgent and shared by all five littoral States. The Tehran Convention provides a unique platform for turning our common commitment into coordinated action. The outcomes of COP7 give us an opportunity to move decisively from agreements to implementation and to strengthen cooperation for a resilient and healthy Caspian Sea.”