BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 25
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
Turkmenistan is currently actively working with the other Caspian countries to finalize the negotiations on a Protocol on Monitoring, Assessment and Information Exchange, which aims to ensure cooperation between the Caspian littoral countries within 'Tehran Convention', UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) told Trend.
According to the information, Turkmenistan is a signatory to the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea, or ‘Tehran Convention’ in short. In addition to Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Russia have ratified the Convention, which entered into force in 2006 and aims to protect the Caspian Sea and its marine environment. The Convention’s interim Secretariat is hosted by the United Nations Environment Program’s Europe Office.
It is reported that Turkmenistan has been promoting and advancing the protection of the marine environment of the Caspian Sea since the time of the Caspian Environment Program, set up in 1998, which founded the Tehran Convention.
In particular, the fifth Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Tehran Convention took place in Ashgabat on 29-30 May 2014. The meeting showed Turkmenistan’s leadership in fostering and securing region-wide awareness and cooperation towards protecting the marine environment of the Caspian Sea. An agreement was reached among the Contracting Parties on the location and arrangements of the Secretariat of the Convention, and the adoption of the Protocol for the Conservation of Biological Diversity.
Also, for the 2021 edition of Caspian Day, Turkmenistan hosted a scientific conference titled ‘Cooperation on protection of the marine environment of the Caspian Sea’. The conference was attended by diplomatic representatives of the other Caspian states, officials of ministries, institutes and environmental agencies, as well as representatives of international organizations: UNEP, UNDP, FAO, OSCE, GIZ (German Corporation for International Cooperation), among others.
UNEP also added that Turkmenistan was among the first states to officially adopt all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and mainstream them into the national development plans and strategies.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity and for people and planet. They were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030.
In 2019, the country completed a Voluntary National Review on its progress towards the SDGs. It found that Turkmenistan had achieved significant progress in its social policy, began market transformations, and stepped up climate change adaptation and mitigation measures.
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