based on IISD reporting from the conference held in Teheran, May 9-10, 2005.

On 21 September 1998 at the 53rd session of the UN GA, Iranian President Khatami called for institutionalizing dialogue among civilizations on the environment, peace and security, involving stakeholders; as a result, the GA proclaimed 2001 as the Year of a Dialogue Among Civilizations.

An international seminar on Environment, Religion and Culture was held in Teheran 18-20 June 2001 that, among other things, committed to promote education on environmental content of religion and to promote environmentally responsible behavior.

The present conference was intended to prepare an outcome in the form of a Teheran Communique to be forwarded to the 5-year Review of the outcome of the New York, 2000 Millennium Summit.

The UN SG transmitted to the 70 people in attendance, including several Ministers, the message that efforts to promote security, development, and human rights, and sustainable development, will be in vain, if environmental degradation and natural resource depletion continue unabated. Almost all ecosystems are in decline and this presents enormous obstacles to attain the MDGs. The Iranian President said that environmental degradation is linked to the expansion of poverty, injustice, and insecurity. The State Secretary of Switzerland’s Agency for the Environment, Philippe Roch, said that the environment is the basis for all cultures. Toepfer questioned the universal utility of GDP as an overarching national goal, referring to China’s “green GNP” and Bhutan’s “gross national happiness” concepts as an alternative. Other participants asked what might be an “ethical” level of consumption.

Surprisingly I found a reference to someone from the Coalition on Environment and Jewish Life, I wander if this was the American COEJL, who described his personal experience with spirituality of the environment, and noted that sacred texts are filled with environmental references. he said that people need now the wisdom of all religions to shed light on contemporary crises. Alexandre Kiss, from the European Council for Environmental Law, underlined the need for a long-term perspective on environmental issues.

The Teheran Communique calls for vibrant, inclusive and democratic multilateralism based on respect, tolerance, accountable governance, human rights and inclusiveness. We hope that this Communique will be read not only in New York, but also in Teheran.

Would it not be nice if Teheran were to dedicate its efforts along the above lines, rather then trying to develop nuclear fission grade materials, and insist on its strict religious interpretations of the Kuranic laws. An enlightened Iran has all the potential of becoming a real 21-st century cultural center, if it could only stop shooting its own feet. Sustainable development and full human rights are the way.