TEHRAN – The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has announced its intention to support the implementation of the country’s environmental protection programme.
UNECE Director-General Tatyana Molchan also expressed the organization’s readiness to provide technical consultation to the Department of the Environment (DOE) and cooperate with it in various environmental areas, doe.ir reported.
The official made the remarks during a meeting with Energy Secretary Shina Ansari. Officials met on the sidelines of the Global Zero Waste Forum, which was held in Istanbul, Turkey, from October 17 to 19.
By focusing on technical issues and drawing on international expertise, UNECE is playing an effective role in areas such as transboundary waters, air pollution and waste management, Molchan added.
Elaborating on the critical situation of the Hamoun wetland in the country’s southeast, which has been significantly drained over the past two decades, Mr. Ansari stressed that sanctions should not affect the implementation of environmental projects directly related to the livelihoods of local communities, and called on UNECE to support restoration projects aimed at restoring the wetland.
Both sides emphasized the importance of starting cooperation and developing steps to accelerate cooperation.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) was established in 1947. It is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations.
UNECE’s main objective is to promote pan-European economic integration. UNECE has 56 member countries in Europe, North America, and Asia. However, all interested United Nations member states can participate in UNECE’s activities.
More than 70 international specialized organizations and other non-governmental organizations participate in UNECE’s work.
As a multilateral platform, UNECE fosters economic integration and cooperation among its Member States, promoting sustainable development and economic prosperity.
Global Zero Waste Forum
The World Zero Waste Forum was organized by the Zero Waste Foundation and Turkish ministries and was themed “People, Place, Progress”.
The three-day event focused on a variety of themes, including translating policy into concrete action, scaling up effective solutions, mobilizing financial resources and building strong international coalitions to tackle waste globally.
This forum provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen environmental exchanges between Iran and other countries.
Mr. Ansari held separate talks with Turkish First Lady Emine Erdoğan and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babaev to explore ways to increase cooperation in the environmental field.
doe.ir quoted President Erdoğan as saying, “Promoting cooperation with neighboring countries, especially in the environmental field, will lay the foundations for regional and international peace.”
The official stressed the importance of common environmental challenges, saying the environment connects countries, from land to air to sea. President Erdoğan praised Iran’s valuable experience in the environmental field and expressed Turkey’s readiness to cooperate with Iran in all fields.
Ansari said waste management is one of the Department of Energy’s top priorities. Iran is keen to benefit from international expertise, including Türkiye’s successful experience. She proposed developing relationships in the conservation of biodiversity and protected areas.
Azerbaijani officials also emphasized the expansion of bilateral and regional relations in the environmental field. Mr. Babayev referred to his previous meeting with the Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and stressed the importance of sustained dialogue and implementation of previous agreements. Officials also agreed to develop collective action to protect the Hyrcanian Forest from climate change.
MT/MG