PRESS RELEASE Request for access to production sharing agreements to protect the Caspian Sea accepted for consideration by a UN mechanism

2026-02-27 12:08

26 February 2026
Geneve, Switzerland

The Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee has accepted for consideration a communication from Vadim Ni, co-founder of the Save the Caspian Sea movement, seeking disclosure of production sharing agreements in accordance with the requirements of the Convention. A representative of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources participated in the meeting on behalf of the Government of Kazakhstan. Vadim Ni's request for access to the environmental parts of the agreements was submitted to the Ministry of Energy in January last year, but it was denied on the grounds of confidentiality.

“Over the past year, we have contested the Ministry of Energy's refusal to disclose the environmental aspects of production sharing agreements, but our appeals have been rejected by courts at all levels. The time has come to turn to international mechanisms. Our government's decision contradicts Kazakhstan's obligations to ensure access to environmental information and justice in accordance with the Aarhus Convention. This is a violation not only of our rights, but also of the country's international commitments," said Vadim Ni.

More than 25 years have passed since Kazakhstan ratified the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters. In accordance with its provisions, the people of Kazakhstan have the right to know what is contained in the agreements that determine the conditions under which international oil and gas companies operate and generate significant revenues in the Caspian Sea region.

Following his speech at the open session of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee’s meeting, Vadim Ni's communication, the only one out of six submissions from different countries, was accepted for consideration in full. It is important to note that the submitted communication meets all the admissibility criteria, namely:

No part of the communication is anonymous: all actions to access information and justice were carried out personally by Vadim Ni or on his behalf;
It is well-founded and does not constitute an abuse of the right to appeal to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee;
It is compatible with the provisions of the Convention and Decision 1/7 of the Meeting of the Parties concerning compliance review;
All domestic legal remedies have been used and exhausted prior to referral to the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee.

“The decision and implementation of measures in response to our communication will take time. This means that we are only at the beginning of the process. However, the Committee's acceptance of our communication for consideration is another confirmation that we have international law on our side. Production sharing agreements contain important information about environmental requirements applicable to international oil and gas companies that profit from the resources of the Caspian Sea. That is why we, the citizens of Kazakhstan, have the right to access these documents, after all, the fate of the Caspian Sea and our well-being are at stake," said Vadim Ni.

For media information:

Vadim Ni's communication to the Compliance Committee, his statement and the statement of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources are available at the link.
For interview requests and more information, please contact media@savethecaspiansea.com.

About the movement:
The global movement Save the Caspian Sea fights to preserve the unique ecosystem of the Caspian Sea by demanding accountability, transparency and environmental responsibility from corporations. The movement joins forces with environmental organisations, local communities, governments and representatives of various industries to address the urgent environmental problems of the Caspian Sea.