Iran (Islamic Republic of)

".. pursuant to Article 30, paragraph 5 of the Convention, the Islamic Republic of Iran hereby declares that any amendment to an annex to the Convention shall enter into force for the Islamic Republic of Iran only upon the deposit of its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession with respect thereto. "Consistent with its principal policy of protecting and promoting the environment and human health, the Islamic Republic of Iran has ratified the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Fulfilling the obligations enshrined in the Convention is a clear duty of all relevant stakeholders including governmental or non-governmental; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the National Focal Point and the Organization of Protection of Environment as the National Authority of the Convention are assigned with the task of handling and monitoring the national implementation of the Convention. It is the understanding of the Islamic Republic of Iran that implementation of the Convention is subject to providing the developing countries with sustainable, adequate and accessible financial support, technical assistance, technology transfer as well as capacity building and proper training which are recognized in the Articles 13 and 14 of the Convention as part of responsibilities of all parties, specifically the developed country parties. The Islamic Republic of Iran is of the view that full and accurate implementation of the said articles is as necessary as other articles of the Convention and non-implementation of the said Articles may raise the issue of compliance. Should the above assistance and support fail to be adequate, timely and sustainable; the extension of the exemptions will be a necessity. The Islamic Republic of Iran would like to encourage all countries that have not yet done so, in particular developed countries to join the Convention and emphasizes that the whole international community should work together to realize the accepted principle of 'Common But Differentiated Responsibilities'."