AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF HYDROMETEOROLOGY OF THE CASPIAN SEA
The Governments of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation and Turkmenistan hereinafter referred to as the Parties,
Guided by the desire to comprehensively develop friendly good neighbourly relations;
Noting the uniqueness of the Caspian Sea environment, its considerable natural resources and economic potential, the rational use of which is of extreme importance for sustainable development of the States of the Parties;
Taking into consideration the specific hydrometeorological conditions of the Caspian Sea resulting from its periodic level fluctuations, as well as increased economic activities in its basin, which require additional efforts from the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (hereinafter NMHS) of the Parties to meet the growing demand for hydrometeorological support of these activities;
Expressing concern about global and regional aspects of possible climate change that may produce a detrimental effect on the hydrometeorological regime of the Caspian Sea;
Noting the significance of the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention) as a mechanism for regional cooperation among the States of the Parties;
Emphasizing the need to establish and develop a regional system for obtaining and exchanging hydrometeorological information on the state of the Caspian Sea to facilitate solving ecological, economic and social problems in the region;
Expressing determination to unite efforts and organize a close cooperation of the Parties in the field of hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea;
Considering the experience of international cooperation in the field of hydrometeorology obtained in other aquatic areas, including cooperation facilitated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO,
Have agreed on the following:
Article 1
For the purposes of the present Agreement, the following terms shall be used:
"State of the Caspian Sea" - a set of hydrometeorological (meteorological,
oceanographic and hydrological) parameters describing physical phenomena and processes occurring in the Caspian Sea and in the mouths of the rivers inflowing the Caspian Sea on the time scales from several hours to several decades;
"Observations of the state of the Caspian Sea" - measurements and visual observations of the set of hydrometeorological parameters describing physical phenomena and processes occurring in the Caspian Sea and in the mouths of the rivers inflowing the Caspian Sea;
"Observation network" - a system of stationary and mobile (floating) marine sites to observe the state of the Caspian Sea;
"Information on the state of the Caspian Sea" - actual (directly observed at a given moment) and summarized (regime and climatic) observation data on and predictions of the state of the Caspian Sea;
"Acquisition of information on the state of the Caspian Sea" - activity to observe the state of the Caspian Sea and to collect and process observation data with a view to acquiring summarized (regime and climatic) data on and predictions of the state of the Caspian Sea;
"Regional system for obtaining and exchanging information on the state of the Caspian Sea" - a combination of observation networks and facilities for observing, processing and disseminating information on the state of the Caspian Sea, belonging to the States of the Parties.
Article 2
The objectives of the present Agreement are to establish and develop an integrated regional system for obtaining and exchanging information on the state of the Caspian Sea in order to ensure security of livelihoods and sustainable development of economic activities in the Sea.
Article 3
To achieve the objectives of the present Agreement, the Parties shall:
Ensure functioning and development of national observation networks, including coastal, island and. river mouth stations and posts, establish, if necessary, new stations and/or posts;
Apply internationally recognized WMO/IOC of UNESCO standards regarding methods of observations of hydrometeorological parameters, agree upon reference systems, select benchmarks and establish other basic rules, harmonize national manuals on hydrometeorological works at marine and coastal stations and posts;
Establish unified requirements to the national systems for collection, storing and dissemination of the information on the state of the Caspian Sea;
Prepare reference materials containing summarized (regime and climatic) data on the state of the Caspian Sea;
Design and compile observation databases on parameters related to the state of the Caspian Sea;
Work out the basics of a common geo-information system depicting information on the state of the Caspian Sea;
Improve methods for predicting the state of the Caspian Sea, including its level fluctuations, with varying lead time;
Improve methods for assessment and comprehensive analysis of the Caspian Sea water balance components, including fluxes in the atmospheric and marine boundary layers;
Coordinate among themselves measures to train and upgrade personnel in the field of hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea.
Article 4
Activities of the Parties to achieve the objectives and to implement provisions of the present Agreement shall be coordinated by the Coordination Committee on Hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea, hereinafter the Committee, to be established.
The Committee shall:
a) develop and adopt an Intergovernmental Integrated Programme on Hydrometeorology of the Caspian Sea, hereinafter referred to as the Programme;
b) coordinate and unite the Parties' efforts to implement the present Agreement and the Programme;
c) inform the Parties of its activities;
d) submit recommendations on measures required to achieve the objectives of the present Agreement for consideration of the Parties;
e) promote cooperation between the NMHS of the Parties and the companies operating in the Caspian Sea, as well as international organizations and programmes interested in the implementation of the Programme and in achieving objectives of the present Agreement;
f) consider other issues related to the implementation of provisions of the present Agreement;
g) keep under review the implementation of the present Agreement on a continuous basis.
Article 5
Each Party shall designate one representative to the Committee (from among the staff of NMHSs of the Parties). The Representative of a Party may be accompanied by experts and advisers at sessions of the Committee.
Decisions of the Committee shall be adopted unanimously.
The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Committee shall be appointed for a period of two years on a rotation basis in the English alphabetical order of the names of the States of the Parties.
Sessions of the Committee shall be held annually in the territory of one of the States of the Parties in the English alphabetical order of the names of the States of the Parties. Extraordinary sessions may be convened at the request of one of the members of the Committee supported by the rest of its members.
To perform its functions, the Committee shall adopt its own rules of procedure and financial rules not contradicting the legislation of the States of the Parties.
The official languages of the States of the Parties, as well as the English language shall be the official languages of the Committee. Russian and English shall be the working languages of the Committee.
The functions of the Secretariat of the Committee shall be performed by the NMHS of the Party whose representative is the Chairman of the Committee.
Article 6
Expenditures related to a Party's participation in the implementation of the present Agreement and the Programme shall be borne by the Party itself, with the use of additional funds provided by interested international organizations and companies on the basis of special agreements.
Article 7
Protection and allocation of intellectual property rights to the results of joint works, achieved in the framework of the Parties' cooperation on the basis of the present Agreement shall be ensured in accordance with the legislation of the States of the Parties and their obligations under applicable international treaties on intellectual property.
Article 8
Disputes between the Parties regarding the interpretation and application of the provisions of the present Agreement shall be settled through negotiations and consultations.
Article 9
None of the provisions of the present Agreement shall be interpreted as to prejudge the outcome of the negotiations on the legal status of the Caspian Sea.
Article 10
Any Party may propose amendments to the present Agreement. Such amendments shall be adopted by unanimous decision of the Parties. Amendments to the present Agreement shall enter into force according to Article 14 of the present Agreement.
Article 11
No reservations shall be made to the present Agreement.
Article 12
The Islamic Republic of Iran shall be the Depository of the present Agreement.
The Depository shall notify the Parties of the date of the entry into force of the present Agreement, as well as of the receipt of written notices from the relevant Parties of the completion of internal procedures required for its entry into force.
Article 13
The present Agreement is done in one original copy which shall be deposited with the Depository. The texts of the Agreement in the Azerbaijani, Farsi, Kazakh, Russian, Turkmen and English languages shall be equally authentic. In case of disagreement, the Parties shall refer to the English text.
Article 14
The present Agreement shall enter into force on the ninetieth day from the date of the receipt by the Depository, via diplomatic channels, of the last written notification of the completion by the Parties of internal procedures required for its entry into force.
Each of the Parties may withdraw from the present Agreement by notifying the Depository thereof. The present Agreement shall remain in force for that Party for 12 months from the date of receipt by the Depository of such a notification.
Done in the city of Astrakhan on 29 September 2014.
For the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan
For the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran
For the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan
For the Government of the Russian Federation
For the Government of Turkmenistan
