Iran calls peace key to protecting environment at UN Asia-Pacific summit
Iran used the Ninth High-level Ministerial Meeting on Environment and Development of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok to press for stronger regional environmental cooperation while stressing that lasting peace is essential to tackling cross-border environmental challenges, Vice President and Head of the Department of Environment (DoE) Shina Ansari said.
Addressing the July 1-3 gathering, Ansari outlined Iran's environmental priorities, including climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, waste management and regional dust storms. She also highlighted the environmental consequences of recent military attacks on Iran, saying damage to oil facilities, infrastructure and fuel storage sites had increased greenhouse gas emissions and carried wider regional environmental implications, IRNA reported.
"The environment is the silent victim of wars," Ansari said, adding that "global environmental goals cannot be achieved without peace and stability."
She reiterated Iran's call for accountability and compensation for environmental damage caused by war while reaffirming the country's commitment to international environmental conventions despite unilateral sanctions.
On the sidelines of the summit, Ansari held a series of bilateral meetings aimed at expanding regional environmental partnerships.
In talks with Pakistan's minister for climate change and environmental coordination, the two sides discussed closer cooperation on combating wildlife trafficking and protecting biodiversity, while Ansari thanked Islamabad for its support for the Islamic Republic of Iran.
During a meeting requested by Armenia, officials reviewed plans to update the two countries' environmental cooperation memorandum, coordinate ahead of the COP17 Biodiversity Conference in Yerevan later this year, establish a joint Peace and Friendship Park, and strengthen joint monitoring of the Aras River.
Ansari also met Ali Shareef, Maldives' minister of climate change, environment and energy and president of the ESCAP meeting, where discussions focused on climate adaptation, coastal ecosystem management, plastic pollution and waste reduction. The Maldivian side welcomed Iran's proposals and expressed readiness to broaden bilateral cooperation.