TEHRAN – Shina Ansari, the head of the Department of Environment, says that promoting environmental diplomacy has been put atop the agenda over the past year, and activities in this regard are progressing with strength.

“During the past year, I had four foreign trips, but I tried my best to make the most of these trips. The speeches we gave on specialized panels, the bilateral meetings held with countries, in which various cross-border issues and demands were raised, all strengthened the country's environmental diplomacy,” Ansari said in a press conference held in Tehran on Tuesday.

There was also news that the Ramsar Convention regional center might be relocated from Iran to another country. But fortunately, the West Asia regional center certificate was extended for three years, she added.

“The membership of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the representative of West Asia in the Steering Committee and Co-Chair of the Convention's Strategic Program and receiving Wetland City certification for Gandoman [in southwestern Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province], Kiashahr [in northern Gilan province], and Babol [in northern Mazandaran province] have also been other successes in the field of environmental diplomacy.”

She went on to say that cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in implementing a waste management project continues, with a focus on empowering local communities.

“The issue of reducing the level of the Caspian Sea is also on our agenda. Given that this week, Thursday, is International Caspian Day, one of our plans and those of other countries bordering the Caspian Sea is the issue of reducing the water level of this sea. Iran has been selected as the host of the event, and God willing, we will have special programs in this regard.”

The new Standing Committee of the Convention on Wetlands has elected Iran as the Vice-Chair for the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which took place from July 23 to 31 in Victoria Falls City, Zimbabwe.

The meeting was held under the theme “Protecting Wetlands for our Common Future.” This COP aimed to adopt a new strategic plan for 2025-2034, the Convention’s fifth action plan.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was signed in the city of Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. This intergovernmental treaty provides the framework for international cooperation on wetland conservation. The convention officially came into force in 1975.