TEHRAN – Iran will host the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Tehran Convention on the protection of the Caspian Sea environment from September 20 to October 1, following a three-year hiatus, and will assume the convention’s rotating presidency at the conclusion of the meeting.

Arman Khorsand, head of the International Affairs and Conventions Center of the Department of Environment, said the Tehran Convention, which provides the main framework for cooperation among Caspian littoral states on environmental protection, marks its 20th anniversary of entry into force this year.

The seventh Conference of the Parties (COP7) will be held over four days, with the first three days dedicated to expert-level meetings and the final day to a high-level session, he added. Environment ministers and officials from the five Caspian littoral states, along with representatives of the United Nations, will attend the meeting.

Khorsand said reviewing and finalizing documents related to the convention’s various protocols, as well as a declaration by the environment ministers of the member states, are among the main issues on the agenda.

Holding COP7 after a three-year hiatus is particularly significant and could help strengthen regional cooperation to protect the Caspian Sea environment and address the environmental challenges facing the body of water, he noted.

The official further said that with the meeting being held in Tehran, the Islamic Republic of Iran will assume the rotating presidency of the Tehran Convention for the upcoming term.

In October 2025, DOE head Shina Ansari said Iran is willing to maintain and promote a collaborative relationship with the Tehran Convention, develop structures, as well as establish a permanent secretariat.

She made the remarks in a meeting in Tehran with Mahir Aliyev, the Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention), IRNA reported.

The two officials also discussed arrangements and preparations for holding COP 7, the perspectives of the Caspian Sea littoral states on cooperation for advancing the goals of the Tehran Convention, as well as reducing pollution and harmful substances in the Caspian Sea.

Tehran Convention

The need for joint protection and management of the Caspian environment and its resources has been a long-standing concern for the Caspian littoral states. In 1998, the Caspian Environment Programme (CEP) was established as a regional initiative aimed at stopping the deterioration of the Caspian Sea’s environmental conditions of and promoting sustainable development for the long-term benefit of the Caspian population.

Since its inception, the CEP has tackled various environmental issues by developing a coordinated management structure, creating Strategic and National Action Plans, and implementing transnational measures to address imminent threats to the Caspian environment. Funded by the littoral states, the European Union, and the international community through the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the CEP has worked to formalize its structure and activities by concluding the Tehran Convention.

In 2003, the Caspian littoral states: Republic of Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, and Turkmenistan, signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention). After the ratification by all the five Governments, the Tehran Convention entered into force on August 12, 2006.

The Tehran Convention serves as an overarching legal framework that establishes general requirements and an institutional mechanism for environmental protection in the Caspian Sea region. It is based on principles such as the precautionary principle, the polluter pays principle, and the principle of access to and exchange of information. The two major areas of focus are (i) prevention, reduction, and control of pollution, and (ii) protection, preservation, and restoration of the marine environment. The Convention includes provisions on environmental impact assessment as well as general obligations related to environmental monitoring, research and development.

COP 7 to focus on Caspian seal protection

Known for its unique biodiversity, the Caspian Sea is home to different kinds of valuable species and plays a vital role in the economy, food security, and ecological sustainability of the region.

Over recent decades, marine life, particularly sturgeon and Caspian seals’ populations in the sea, have sharply declined due to threatening factors such as illegal fishing, overfishing, oil, industrial, and agricultural pollution, climate change, reduced water flow, as well as habitat destruction.

The Caspian seal is the only marine mammal in the Caspian Sea. The species is now listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, with its population declining due to various reasons, from one million in the past to 70,000, currently.

In recent years, the increase in the discovery of seals’ carcasses on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea has raised concerns among environmentalists that the Caspian seal is at greater risk of extinction than ever before. In just two months, 18 carcasses were discovered on Mazandaran coasts, IRNA reported.

Addressing the coordination meeting for the protection of the Caspian seal species, Ansari said that, given the recent losses of the seals and their critical status, conservation efforts need to be prioritized. Hence, COP 7, which will be held in Tehran, will focus on the preservation of the Caspian seal.

During the 11th Nevsky International Ecological Congress, held from May 22 to 23, 2025, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, the five Caspian Sea states (Iran, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kazakhstan) discussed environmental challenges threatening, such as shrinking water level, pollution, habitat destruction, and decline in population of marine animals,” IRNA quoted Ansari as saying.

Underscoring the need for regional cooperation to protect the biodiversity of the Caspian ecosystem, Ansari said based on regional diplomacy, it is essential to focus specifically on the Caspian Sea environment to save endangered species, particularly the Caspian seals, through enhanced joint measures, the official noted.

The official went on to highlight the significance of promoting inter-sectoral cooperation among responsible bodies such as fisheries and veterinary organizations, saying that fostering joint efforts will reduce conflicts over the conservation of these species.