Governments around the Caspian Sea have finalized a draft regional action plan for responding to major oil spills, given the rapid rise of oil and gas exploration and production in the region.
Gathering in Aktau, Kazakhstan (8-10 October), representatives from key national agencies updated and finalized the draft “Aktau Protocol Plan” for implementing the Protocol Concerning Regional Preparedness, Response and Co-operation in Combating Oil Pollution Incidents (the Aktau Protocol) under the Tehran Convention.
The Tehran Convention is a regional agreement signed by all five Caspian littoral States to protect the marine environment. The draft action plan, which outlines activities and procedures for a joint response to marine pollution incidents, will be submitted to the Tehran Convention Conference of Parties (COP) later in the year.
During the workshop, delegates tested the plan and assessed the implementation of regional protocols in national oil spill continency plans through a table-top exercise and by using the RETOS tool – a web application for evaluating oil spill preparedness and response planning.
Participants discussed roles and responsibilities during oil spill responses, highlighting the need for robust national and regional oil spill contingency plans (OSCPs) to ensure effective and sustainable response measures. Experts from the oil and gas sectors, along with representatives from IMO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), joined the discussions to ensure cross-sector collaboration.
The workshop also improved participants' understanding about the benefits of ratifying and effectively implementing the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC Convention) at the national and subregional levels. Participants established a shared action plan to help finalize national spill preparedness frameworks and bolster regional cooperation under the OPRC Convention and the Tehran Convention.
The workshop was organized by UNEP, as the interim Secretariat of the Tehran Convention, and delivered under IMO’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP).