Tehran Convention
Tehran Convention

Protocols to the Tehran Convention

The Contracting Parties to the Tehran Convention assigned priority to the development of five Protocols to the Convention in thematic areas of concern.

The Protocol Concerning Regional Preparedness, Response and Co-operation in Combating Oil Pollution Incidents ("Aktau Protocol") was adopted and signed at the third Meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Tehran Convention (COP 3) in Aktau, Kazakhstan, on 12 August 2011. It is the first Protocol that was ratified by all Caspian countries to enter into force on 25 July 2016.

Aktau Protocol text
Status of ratification
Country Signed Ratified
Azerbaijan 12/08/2011 21/12/2012
I.R. of Iran 12/08/2011 15/08/2012
Kazakhstan 12/08/2011 18/03/2016
Russian Federation 12/08/2011 21/12/2012
Turkmenistan 03/11/2011 22/12/2012

The Protocol for the Protection of the Caspian Sea against Pollution from Land-based Sources and Activities ("Moscow Protocol") was adopted and signed at the fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 4) in Moscow, Russian Federation, on 12 December 2012. It is the second Protocol that was ratified by all Caspian countries.

Moscow Protocol text
Status of ratification
Country Signed Ratified
Azerbaijan - 25/02/2014*
I.R. of Iran 12/12/2012 12/05/2014
Kazakhstan 05/05/2013 01/11/2021
Russian Federation 02/05/2013 15/08/2023
Turkmenistan 12/12/2012 23/05/2015
*accession

The Protocol for the Conservation of Biological Diversity ("Ashgabat Protocol") was adopted at the fifth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 5) in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on 30 May 2014.

Ashgabat Protocol text
Status of ratification
Country Signed Ratified
Azerbaijan
I.R. of Iran 30/05/2014 17/10/2021
Kazakhstan - 23/10/2021
Russian Federation 22/02/2015
Turkmenistan 30/05/2014 23/05/2015

The Protocol on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context was adopted and signed at the first Extraordinary Meeting of the Conference of the Parties in Moscow, Russian Federation, on 20 July 2018.

EIA Protocol text
Status of ratification
Country Signed Ratified
Azerbaijan 20/07/2018 27/06/2019
I.R. of Iran 20/07/2018
Kazakhstan 20/07/2018 04/10/2021
Russian Federation 20/07/2018 13/12/2019
Turkmenistan 20/07/2018 22/08/2020

The Protocol on Monitoring, Assessment and Information Exchange is being negotiated by the Contracting Parties to the Tehran Convention.