IMO announced that joined countries and stakeholders, concerned with protecting the Caspian Sea from oil pollution, at a regional meeting in Bandar-e Anzali, Islamic Republic of Iran, realized on 16-20 April.
Participants included delegations for the five littoral States of the Caspian (Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, and Turkmenistan), representatives from the oil, gas and shipping industries operating in the Caspian, and the Tehran Interim Secretariat from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
According to IMO, the representatives discussed the implementation of the Aktau Protocol on Regional Preparedness, Response and Cooperation in Combating Oil Pollution Incidents and, in particular, finalization of the Regional Caspian Sea Plan on cooperation in combating oil pollution in emergencies.
In addition to the meeting, IMO’s Colleen O’Hagan joined participants to observe a response exercise combining elements of search and rescue, firefighting and pollution response – undertaken by the Ports and Maritime Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The meeting took place under the Teheran Convention and was chaired by Dr. Parvin Farshchi, Deputy for Marine Environment, at the Department of Environment of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The objective of the Aktau Protocol is to provide regional measures for preparedness, response and co-operation for protection of the Caspian Sea from oil pollution. The Contracting Parties shall take, individually or jointly, all measures, necessary for the implementation of this Protocol, to prepare for and respond to oil pollution incidents.
