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The Caspian Environment Programme (CEP) is a regional umbrella programme developed for and by the five Caspian Littoral States, Azerbaijan, I.R. Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan, aiming to halt the deterioration of environmental conditions of the Caspian Sea and to promote sustainable development in the area.

The need for joint protection and management of the Caspian environment and its resources has been an ongoing issue for the Caspian States. In particular, since the collapse of the Soviet Union (1991) there has been heightened awareness of such a need. So, the CEP born out of a long desire for regional cooperation, expressed through a number of regional agreements since 1991:

  • A draft Convention on the Conservation and Utilisation of Bioresources of the Caspian;
  • The Baku Resolution, June, 1991;
  • The Tehran Communique, October 1992;
  • The Astrakhan Communique, October 1993;
  • The Declaration on Environmental Cooperation in the Caspian, Almaty, May 1994;
  • The Protocol of the Meeting on Programmes for the Protection of the Environment in the Caspian Region, Almaty, 1994;
  • The report of the joint meeting of the task force and TDA experts, Almaty, 1997;
  • National reports on the state of the Caspian, 1998;
  • Report of TDA Experts Meeting (including Framework TDA), Tehran, April, 1998; and
  • The decisions of the First meeting of the Interim Steering Committee of the CEP, Ramsar, 1998.

During the Ramsar meeting held in the Islamic Republic of Iran, in May 1998, the CEP was officially launched.

The CEP has addressed multiple environmental and bioresource issues in its First Phase , falling into various thematic areas including :

  • Effective Regional Intersectoral (public and private sector) Coordination and Environmental Management
  • Public Awareness and Involvement in the CEP, including the National Caspian Action Plans (NCAP) and regional Strategic Action Programme (SAP)
  • Regional Data and Information Management Systems
  • Regional Assessment of Contaminant Levels
  • Transboundary Biodiversity Priorities
  • Sustainable Management of Fish Resources and Other Commercially Exploited Aquatic Bioresources
  • Integrated Transboundary Coastal Area Planning and Management
  • Combating Coastal Desertification and Land Degradation
  • Sustainable Human Development and Health
  • Regional Emergency Response Actions
  • Institutional, Legal, Regulatory and Economic Frameworks for SAP implementation
  • Strengthen Contaminant Abatement and Control Policies and Procedures
  • Priority Investment Portfolios for Transboundary Priorities
  • Matched Small Grants and Public Participation

During its first four years (July 1998 to October 2002) the CEP has established and prepared the following:

  • A management structure, including a Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) and ten Caspian Regional Thematic Centres
  • Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA)
  • National Caspian Action Plans (NCAPs)
  • Strategic Action Programme (SAP)
  • Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (BSAP)
  • Priority Investment Portfolio Project (PIPP)
  • Draft text of the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea
  • Regional Cooperation Plan for Oil Spill Preparedness

The CEP is funded by the Caspian littoral governments and the International community through the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) (of which United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Bank are the implementing agencies), the European Union / Tacis and the growing participation of the private sector.

Within the context of the CEP in the Second Phase, the main responsibilities of the five Caspian littoral states will include the following:

  • to contribute to the overall strategic policy and management direction to the CEP through their representation in the Steering Committee;
  • to provide technical and management advice to the CEP through their representation on the Advisory Groups;
  • to provide national policy guidance for the CEP through their National Coordination Structures (NCS) and Inter-sectoral Coordination Groups (ICG);
  • to ensure that policy guidance from the Steering Committee is reflected in national CEP-related policies and programme activities, as appropriate; and
  • to contribute and commit, financially and in kind, to implementation of the National Caspian Action Plans and the Strategic Action Programme.

CEP will concentrate efforts in the longer term on the implementation of the adopted NCAPs and SAP and further support to the Framework Convention Process. Implementation of the SAP will be supported by the CEP with the assistance of the International Partners at both the national and regional levels. During SAP implementation it is anticipated that other international agencies will apply to have their projects included under the CEP umbrella and in so doing become full international partners.