Warsaw and Geneva ,two Venues for Global Peace

I attended the COP19 conference on climate change in Warsaw last week. The global community has sensed an urgency in the matter, but little action has been taken to reverse the devastating trend of the warming of the earth's atmosphere and the ensuing extreme weather events , drought, rising sea levels and immense social and economic losses incurred upon societies. In Warsaw, global powers that are responsible for the major part of the green house gases produced during the industrial era were not ready to accept their historical responsibilities and developing countries, many who are still grappling with abject poverty in their societies, were not ready to undergo quotas to reduce their GGHs drastically, when the major part of the industrialized world including the US never acceeded to the Kyoto protocol. The EU initially pushed to impose their version on the rest of the world but they faced a strong group of like minded developing countries who threatened to leave the conference if consensus was not achieved based on common understanding. In the end, a neogiated text was agreed upon in the final moments, to save the negotiation process. During my stay in Warsaw, I was invited to speak about the role of women in promoting global peace at the European Academy of Diplomacy, I also delivered my country speech at the opening of the high level session on the first day. A press conference with Polish journalists, a speech at PISM a Polish peace research institute on the Internal and External Evolution of https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/s/?view=att&th=1429fa1502b42547&attid=0.1&disp=attd&safe=1&zw and a long working dinner with the Polish foreign minister were also on my agenda. Since the sensitive 5+1 negotiations with Iran were underway then in Geneva, they overshadowed our talks in Warsaw. I had the chnace to speak with the President of Poland at his reception and along with the Iranian delegation we had a lengthly meeting Mr.Ban Ki Moon, the UNSG. In that meeting, I told him I tweeted last night : Planet earth pleads us tonight: Give the world a chance for peace in Geneva , give the global environment a chance in Warsaw. He liked the tweet but sarcastically also noted that it was similar to what he had said a few weeks ago : Give diplomacy a chance in Syria! The success of the 5+1 and Iran negotiations in Geneva was a great achievement for peace and multilateralism, as opposed to the violence and conflict prone policies in today's world. This success proves that even the most difficult and apparently insurmountable obstacles can be overcome with patience and dialogue.https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/u/0/s/?view=att&th=1429fa1502b42547&attid=0.1&disp=attd&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P-en6RqDALqBdRUe3mK1csg&sadet=1385872288279&sads=TvPHgoxBnrX1FI_wImmXINOyNOQ

Civil Society Prevents the Destruction of A Valuable Garden

Experts believe the natural pristine forests of Iran, belonging to the Hircanian age, probably date back to between 2-3 million years ago. These natural forests are a natural reservoir of diverse flora and fauna and exceptional beauty. They comprise up to 4% of the country's area and are under constant pressure from legal and illegal logging, urbanization and industrialization projects. Situated at the north of Iran andsouthern border of the Caspian sea, these forests are a natural touristic attraction for millions of people who visit the north every year.
Since two years ago, State officials announced plans to construct a highway passing between the Nowshahr Botanical Gardens in Mazandaran. This botanic reservoir which dates more than 5 decades ago is a  unique collection of living plants many of which are at the verge of extinction. Many of these plants are also ornamental as well. In addition to research and education, the Garden is a touristic attraction as well. At that time many NGOs and environmental activists opposed the action and certain members of the Garden administration filed a legal claim against the local authorities. This led to a judicial verdict and the plans were temporarily cancelled.
Last week a new directive was issued to begin the destruction of the Garden on Wednesday. NGOs and civil society activists began a campaign to protest against the action and to prevent the government from executing its directive. They also signed a petition asking Dr. Rouhani the President elect to take action to prevent the destruction of this valuable biodiversity reservoir.
NGOs arrived on the site on Wednesday to see that the directive has been temporarily annulled and construction activity cancelled.

Recent Presidential elections resulted in the victory of the moderate candidate who called for change. This event indicates that the winds of change are on the way and there is much reason for optimism.

UN Habitat Award

The Environment Committee in Tehran's City Council provides an opportunity to promote environmental standards for a city of over 8.5 million inhabitants, a city known for its congested traffic and as the economic and political hub of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
This committee which held over 180 meetings during the past 5.5 years,  also presides over the activity of more than 25 subcommittees in diverse areas related to urban environment. In addition, during   hundreds of visits to districts and local communities in Tehran, we evaluated the conditions and status of the living environment. The environment committee endeavors to set a standard for inter-sectoral coordination and collaboration among the major stakeholders, including municipal, government, NGO and private sector as well as local communities benefiting from the enhancement of environmental standards.
During this period we have undertaken policy-making, coordination and social mobilization strategies, in addition to the oversight of all urban activities.
A vast spectrum of issues ranging from air quality, to water and waste water management, green areas,civil society roles, waste management, national parks and precious ecosystems adjacent to Tehran, noise pollution , electromagnetic radiation, food safety and many other important issues  are tackled in the committee.
One of the most important bills  adopted in 2007 was the State of the Environment (SOE) Report for Tehran. On the basis of the national experience we had in the Iranian Department of the Environment, and the preparation and publication of two National SOE reports (2004,2005), we adopted a bill to obligate the Municipality to produce an annual SOE for Tehran.
The first city SOE report was produced on the basis of our national framework and the UNEP model .  The second report is  recently finalized and will be shortly available.
There was an international ceremony in Tehran on Wednesday, which I could not attend due to previous engagements at the University. The United Nations Human Settlements Programme UN-Habitat  acknowledged the preparation of this report under the jurisdiction of the Tehran City Council, as a Good Practice and applauded its impact in improving the living environment. The letter is signed by Ms Wandia Seaforth the Chief of the UN Habitat Best Practices Program.
We have to applaud the efforts of all our partners, experts and personnel in the municipality who made this report possible.

This photo of Tehran was taken by a Canadian astronaut- Chris Hadfield 

Awards for Environmental Activists and Researchers in Iran

The Center for Peace and Environment convened the annual environmental award ceremony of Dr. Taghi Ebtekar in Tehran. The eighth round of Dr. Taghi Ebtekar Award Ceremony was held on Wednesday March 7. Three activists and researchers , three NGOs, one journalist and the family of a forest ranger killed by smugglers were all awarded by the CPE Board of Referees. www.pengoo.ir

The Environment Suffers in War

 The Center for Peace and Environment has convened an international seminar every year on the occasion of November 6 the International Day for the Prevention of the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. Members of the diplomatic community and countries which have suffered from war were invited to speak about the devastation that war had caused in their homelands. Also, representatives from the international organizations such as the UNDP , OCHA and the International Red Cross attended the seminar and provided reports on their actions in this regard.  As a Champion of the Earth, I would invite these international figures to attend our ceremony and they had usually responded favorably.  This year, considering the circumstances and continuing restraints on the activities of the civil society, the Center decided to issue a statement and postpone the session to the next year. The full statement is available at www.pengoo.ir . This is the opening phrase:

"Since mankind has always counted its war casualties in terms of dead and wounded soldiers and civilians, as well as destroyed cities and livelihoods, the environment has often remained the unpublicized victim of war.

Yet when the environment   suffers in warfare, it threatens the well-being of vulnerable populations and undermines prospects for lasting peace, thus triggering a vicious cycle of destruction...."

Message of President Khatami to CPE Awards Ceremony

The Seventh Round of Dr. Taghi Ebtekar Environmental Awards were held by the Center for Peace and Environment in Tehran, on March 7, 2012.  Three awards were granted to researchers and journalists in the field of environment and natural resources while the Board of Referees granted three plaques of honor to NGOs and activists in this field as well.  Seyyed Mohammad Khatami  the former President of the Islamic Republic of Iran delivered a message to this ceremony , the text of which is as follows:

In the Name of Allah

Life is a great and unique blessing bestowed upon humans who are the sublime making of God and the hallmark of God’s creation.  God has summoned humans thus uplifting them from the individual level to an elevated personality and dignity and this call has been the summon of” life”. As the Holy Quran says:” O those who have believed, when God and the Prophet invite you to that which gives you life, then accept their invitation.”(Anfal 24)  It is clear that life in this context occupies a greater  and higher expanse than  only this worldly life. Even though life in this world is also very precious and the life of each person is as valuable as the life of all humanity. As the Holy Quran states “   the killing of a person for reasons other than legal retaliation or for stopping corruption in the land is as great a sin as murdering all of mankind.” (Maede 32).

 This exclusive and matchless blessing of life is constantly threatened and its protection based on mores and reason  is a   prescribed  and universal responsibility . In our age the terms “ecosystem and environment”  have found a unique place in terms of the attention humans  pay and the worth that they attach to life and the threats that are  exclusive to our times.

Hunger , disease , war, discrimination and deprivation are the afflictions of a large part of the human society and the anxiety has ensued  in part, as a result of ignorance- which has diminished throughout history and thus its dire consequences. Also  in part,  these afflictions are due to the oppression ruling upon human societies  while  humans though out history have fought oppression and despite the setbacks  they have faced,  they have never relinquished the quest and effort for attaining freedom and justice for all.

Today hunger and disease and unsuccessful efforts to meet the essential needs of societies has afflicted many societies  also oppression, discrimination and deprivation of humans from their basic rights both in the internal scene of countries and in the international scene are the greatest enemies of humanity. The modern world is plagued by consumerism and the insatiable quest of the powers, who are equipped with technology , power and pride. They have begun  a race for technology as the base for material development and growth among nations, but  this has led to new forms of pollution and environmental degradation and has taken the human race and earth to the verge of destruction.

The degradation of natural resources , pressures on our life spaces and even pollutants in the air which seems to be nature’s complimentary gift to humans , has taken us to a dangerous situation.

Fortunately,  we are facing an unprecedented consensus in today world on the importance of protection of the environment and the need for sustainability and healthy environments. Even though this theoretical consensus has not translated into action and has not deterred many of the past and current trends of environmental destruction .

In addition, it is necessary to note that if humans are more sublime than nature and human life is not limited to this material world,  then in addition to the concerns that we have for this world and this life, we also need to be concerned about the spiritual life of humans. Therefore, followers of divine religions  particularly Islam, in addition to the emphasis laid upon protection of the environment ,have also stressed upon the need to protect the spiritual life and environment as well.  Undoubtedly, the prevalence of deceit, accusations, and insecurity as well as the growing gaps between people and their governments and the increasing mistrust against governments and their incompetence in running the affairs of their societies , are all reasons for increasing social ailments and are currently polluting our social environments in the vast sense of the word.

Here we are gathered to commemorate a dear person whose most prominent feature was his concern for human life and efforts to improve and safeguard the environment and cure the damages inflicted upon it. He strived to improve both the material and spiritual environment of our age.  Dear Dr Taghi Ebtekar is no longer among us but his memories persist.  Here I  must take note of the capabilities and efforts of his only successor  Dr. Massoumeh Ebtekar, who both during her productive tenure  at the Department of the Environment and after that has endeavored with passion and knowledge to find ways for the betterment of life for people and has rightfully attained the title of : Champion of the Earth” from the international community.

Seyyed Mohammad Khatami

Tehran, March ,7,2012.

Peace for the Environment

The civil society is not very active and outspoken these days but the occasion of November 6 , the day designated by the UN as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict was an important event that could not be missed. The Center for Peace and Environment convened an international seminar on this occasion last Wednesday. http://en.pengoo.ir/index
The diplomatic community in Tehran, academia , NGOs and members of the press attended this event. Dr. Babran welcomed the invitees and I made an opening address, this was followed by the message of Seyed Mohammad Khatami the former President  and the speech of  Salah Zawawi the Ambassador of Palestine  and Mohammad Reza Tabesh the Head of the Environment faction of the Parliament . After the opening,  a panel session with Ambassadors of Afghanistan, Croatia, Japan, International Red Cross  and an Iranian academic was moderated by  Dr. Kahrom, the renown Iranian environmentalist. The Japanese Ambassador made a very interesting comparison between the  nuclear disaster in Nakasaki and Hiroshima and the recent Tsunami and nuclear fallout. The resilience and hard work of the people of Japan was noteworthy, while the natural environment will take a much longer time for restoration.
In the opening, I stressed upon the importance of resolving international conflicts by dialogue and  refraining from any act that would aggravate the very volatile conditions in this part of the world . The Persian Gulf has suffered excessively from war and environmental degradation during the past decade and it would be a disaster if any new military venture would occur.

Arasbaran

Nature lovers can find many attractive and beautiful sites in Iran. On the Eid Fetr vacation we found the opportunity to visit Arasbaran and the Aras river along with family members. The Aras river is located in the Nouth Western border of Iran, adjacent to the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia and the disputed Nakhjavan territory. This large river has green riversides with tall bushes. In that region,  we also visited two ancient Churches , the Church of Saint Stephanus ( the first Christian martyr) and the Church of Nana Maryam. The Church of Saint Stepanus was open for the public and parts were under renovation and protection as monuments of national heritage. The presence of these historical sites are a clear indication of the long history of peaceful coexistence among followers of divine religions in Iran.
As we traveled from the Aras river to the southwest we entered the perimeters of Kiamaki Protected Area and further down the Arasbaran Forests Protected Area.  This trip was reminiscent of the many visits I had as Head of the Department of Environment some years ago, only now I was with the family and not the DOE directors and personnel. The pristine Arasbaran forests of Iran are recognized as one of the important biodiversity hotspots of the globe, meaning that the diversity of flora and fauna in this region is very high.
As we enjoyed the magnificent scenes, news of the street clashes and arrests of protestors in Urumieh and Tabriz who had objected to the trend of drought in Lake Urumieh brought us back to the realities of environmental degradation. In the previous week ,I was asked to make several interviews on the policies and measures taken during my tenure to combat the trend leading to the drying up of the Urumieh National Park. I had given detailed explanations on the research project leading to a management scheme and the measures and strategies we had taken to engage both the water and agriculture sectors on this matter to provide the water required by the lake on a regular basis. The DOE had warned the officials in 1998 we had layed out a road map for the protection of the Lake. Many parts of that project were underway  in 2004 . These protection schemes and strategies were later abandoned by the ninth government and only reconsidered recently after serious protests rocked the region. No one can dispute the fact that the environment was never a priority for the government of Mr. Ahmadinejad.

Dust Storms

During several months in summer and fall, many cities in Iran have been suffering from dust storms and severe air pollution. Tehran has also been inflicted by this phenomena during recent weeks. Aerial satellite images indicate that the sources of these dust storms are from deserted farm lands and desert areas in Iraq, Syria , Jordan and Saudi Arabia. These dust storms take the particles high into the atmosphere and they travel across boundaries into Iran.
We held a large hearing session on the issue in the Tehran City Council Environmental Committee and invited all sectors involved with the matter  last night. Experts spoke on the issue, indicating that a reduction of rainfall and mismanagement of water resources particularly in Turkey, where new dams have withheld most of the water coming in the Tigris and  Euphrates , has resulted in the drying up of marshlands in this region. The only solution for the dust and air pollution which has hampered activity in many cities, is international cooperation for land management and natural resources protection. Planting of species which could protect the soil and prevent erosion is the ultimate resolve. Cities like Beijing have face similar challenges in the past and have improved their air quality with long term planning and regional cooperation, I mentioned in the session.
This could be done in the context of the Convention to Combat Desertification , the Convention on Climate Change and other conventions such as the Wetlands Convention . We concluded that international and bilateral cooperation is essential and all regional countries including Turkey should be involved in this process.
These events indicate the importance of environmental policies and collaboration at the regional and international level to protect natural resources.

Earth Day: Red Apple in a Green Plate

The open session of the Tehran City Council yesterday was attended by many municipality officials as well as journalists and ordinary people. I had asked the procurement officer of the City Council to buy red apples enough for those present in the session. Mehdi Chamran, the Head of the Council was reluctant to accept my plan to distribute the apples, however I insisted and explained that on the occasion of Earth Day I intended to make a simple demonstration of how fragile the earth is. After some resistance he finally accepted , the apples were distributed with a green plate and plastic knife. I  reminded everyone that they should not eat the apples and wait for my explanations. There was a sense of suspense and anticipation, the Government supporters in the Council were very worried that I may use this opportunity to speak out as I had done before. Chamran finally gave me the floor to talk. I compared the apple to our planet earth and I asked everyone to cut the apple into 4 equal pieces. 3 pieces are water, the oceans lakes and wetlands where life has begun and is sustained. 1/4 of the apple is land. I asked them to half that one piece and told them that half of that land including mountain cliffs and  deserts is not habitable for humans. " Take one piece and cut it into four pieces"  that would be the equivalent of arable land where where humans can cultivate to reap the fruits and products,  I told them.  I then asked them to peel the skin off that very small piece , "this is the top soil in which we can hope to produce food for about 7 billion inhabitants of this planet. That is the lesson of the apple. Now we can eat it together."
Some members were eating the apple before I began and some were joking about the cooking lessons I was giving.
Yet the message came across, particularly when the combination of green plate and red apples came out in the media.

Environmental Awards

The Center for Peace and Environment had it's annual awards ceremony in the name of the late Dr.Taghi Ebtekar, my father who passed away 9 years ago. The Center for Peace and Environment  (www.pengo.ir) has now convened this Award for five rounds, acknowledging each time, the efforts and achievements of scientists and scholars in the field of environmental research. At least six months ahead, the Center announces its conditions and invites qualified scholars to take part through ads in major newspapers. Once candidates send their credentials and the deadline is over, the Board of Referees begins the nomination process. In addition to the main prize, journalists in the field of the environment are also acknowledged for the difficult work they perform. This year two scientists,one specializing in biodiversity and the other in air pollution were selected. Three journalists and a newspaper Etellat were chosen for their role in reporting on environmental challenges and issues that the country faces.
Seyyed Mohammad Khatami , the former President of the Islamic Republic of Iran was our guest of honor. After presenting the prizes, he spoke on the importance of peace as the prerequisite for development and human advancement. "If we perceive human nature as inherently aggressive and in pursuit of war then peace becomes an entity that must be enforced and will face instability. On the other hand if we view human nature inherently peace seeking, then peace becomes a natural entity that can be safeguarded to promote stability ."  Khatami continued "We need to realize that Peace is the essential requirement of humanity both at national and international levels. At national levels intolerance and violence are on the rise and at the international levels war, occupation and aggression at the hands of powerful governments are widespread." We need to condemn the violent attitudes that intend to promote tensions and conflicts,  particularly when this attitude is presented under the guise of religion and sacred objectives, Khatami stressed.  Finally, he stressed, peace with nature and the environment is an integral aspect of peace and the global conditions we face in today's world are the result of an ongoing war against the ecosystem.
After the speech most of the guests wanted to take photographs with Khatami. It seems that after all the pressures, smearing campaigns and threats against him , his popularity has mysteriously risen!

Environment and Human Rights

Shahid Beheshti University ( which is actually the college where I completed my bachelors degree) now has a UNESCO Chair for Human Rights, Peace and Democracy. They hosted, during the past two days,an international conference on Environment and Human Rights. The Conference was attended by academics and experts from all continents. Two days of deliberations on the nexus between environment and human rights had resulted in a significant wealth of academic articles on the matter. I spoke, after the UNEP representative Bakary Kante and the spokesperson of the Judiciary, Dr. Jamshidi, in the closing ceremony yesterday afternoon. As someone who has had an 8 year experience in dealing with the implementation of environmental law, I told them we need to find out why, at the global level, most legislation has not been translated into action. World leaders present attractive rhetoric about sustainable development, but it seems that they do not perform well in practice and implementation.

I continued saying that we need to understand whether the weak compliance of governments is a result of the flawed worldviews of their leaders or is it due to a lack of ethical commitment. Is it because they do not consider environmental rights to be an integral aspect of human rights ? Or is it due to the arrogant and selfish attitude that world leaders have taken against nature? Divine religions particularly Islam provide not only a philosophical explanation for environmental rights but also an ethical framework in which governments should be held accountable. I concluded by saying that environmental rights are an undeniable and indivisible aspect of human rights.
I was invited to give the gifts to the speakers and join the group photo at the end of the session. You can find details on speakers and the program here : http://chpd.sbu.ac.ir/Default.aspx?tabid=3039&ctl=Detail&mid=5964&Id=3405

Green Spaces and the Presidential Race

Last week the Environment Committee of the Tehran City Council had two major visits . On Saturday we visited Tehran's waste management center in the southern district of Kahrizak. More than 7000 tons of waste is generated daily in Tehran. In recent years, with the establishment of the Environment Committee we have succeeded to promote sound and efficient waste management programs. Currently ,as we witnessed more than 2000 tons of organic waste is composted and more than 800 tons is recylced. On Wednesday we witnessed some of the activities underway to enhance green areas in Tehran. There are 1578 parks of different sizes in Tehran. Currently there is more than 12 square meters of green area per capita, but we believe it is not enough and not distributed evenly. We visited one of the two women's parks in Tehran. This park located in the south of the city is very large, over 170 hectares with all modern facilities, football, volleyball, tennis and badminton courts. Indoor body building and outdoor activities of all kinds were available but most important is that since only women are allowed in the park, they can take off their covering and stroll in the park area without hijab. This is very attractive for women and particularly the young .They enjoy the atmosphere and the opportunity to walk around without the usual covering . There will be at least four such parks in Tehran by the end of this year.
After Engineer Mousavi the former Prime Minister of Iran entered the race for the next Presidential elections , Khatami is reconsidering his decision to run . Khatami's popularity runs high and all polls show him between 20 to 30% ahead of other candidates . He however does not believe that numerous reformist candidates could win the race and is concerned about rivalry among the reformist camp. Khatami believes that ethics should prevail and that is the essence of any political game. He has shown he has no political ambitions and that he will not sacrifice his ethical principles for the sake of power. That's the man that we have known all these years.

Clean Air and Good Intentions

There have been so many events going on during the past days. We had the Clean Air Day celebrations on Sunday. This was an event that the Department of Environment initiated during my tenure. During those years we embarked on a serious strategy to improve air quality in Tehran as well as 7 major cities, amounting to better air for more than 20 million citizens. A comprehensive plan was implemented in 7 phases and more than 40 projects. We had achieved many targets by 2006 including out phasing lead from gasoline in the country, implementing emission standards for the automotive industry and promoting CNG fueled public transportation. Those projects resulted in better air quality until 2007 , however since the new government was installed many projects have failed or have faced serious delays. Now the quality of air in this city of 8.5 million is deteriorating quickly.
The Environment Committee of the City Council visited some of the projects of the Metro ( the underground urban train system) . The Metro has transported more than 2 billion commuters since its inception in 1996 and it is rapidly expanding the current 3 lines to 8 lines. Several regions in the city are under construction for the Metro . The people are generally very satisfied and hope to see new lines opened for transportation in different parts of the city. We visited some lines in the south of the city and also some maintenance facilities.
My general impression is that the current government is no longer interested in promoting environmental standards and improving air and water quality. They seem to follow only short term objectives and usually invest where they can generate some propaganda for the upcoming presidential elections. Their incompetence in many areas is now taking its toll.
No one still knows whether President Khatami will stand for these elections or not. Many people hope that he will step forward to change the existing circumstances. Others pray that God gives him the wisdom to make a correct decision.
Changes in the American administration are inevitable and the world is watching closely. The inaugural ceremony is underway. We have a religious narration saying that : Actions are judged by the intentions behind them. I hope Obama has good intentions not only for the American people but for all of humanity as well.