Tehran Declaration

Export agreement:

Export agreement coding (PDF)

Country/entity: Tajikistan
Region: Europe and Eurasia
Agreement name: Tehran Declaration
Date: 18 May 1997
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Tajikistani Civil War (1992 - 1997)
Ethnic marginalization formed a key feature in the Tajikistani Civil war when liberal democrat and Islamic groups from the Garm and Gorno-Badakhshan took up arms against the government of President Rahmon Nabiyev. Members of Nabiyev’s government were predominantly from the regions of Leninabad and Kulyab. Anti-government protestors took to the street following the 1991 presidential elections, which caused the government to hand out arms to pro-government militias. Following clashes, anti-government factions captured the President and forced him to resign at gun-point. A new government under the Kulyabi native, Emomali Rahmonov, who fended off democratic and Islamist militias. Eventually, with support from Islamist factions in Afghanistan, the opposition united under the United Tajik Opposition umbrella. In 1994, the UN deployed a peacekeeping force to monitor the 1994 ceasefire agreement. A peace agreement was signed in 1997 and completely removed the Leninabad ‘old guard’ from power.
Stage: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Government
Peace process: Tajikistan peace process
Parties: Talbak Nazarov, Head of the Delegation of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan

Khoja Akbar Turajonzodah, Head of the Delegation of the United Tajik Opposition
Third parties: (signed) Gerd Dietrich Merrem, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Tajikistan

Observers:
Representatives of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Krygyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and the Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Orgranization of Islamic Conference (OIC) took part in the negotiations as observers.
Description: Declaration accompanying Protocol on the Guarantees of Implementation welcoming commitments made in the Protocol, thanking the Guarantor nation.

Agreement document: TJ_970528_Tehran Declaration.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: Page 1

From 9 to 16 April and from 22 to 28 May 1997 the final round of the inter-Tajik negotiations on national reconciliation was held in Tehran under United Nations auspices.

Implementation

UN signatory: Signatory:
Gerd Dietrich Merrem, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Tajikistan
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Conciliation Resources Accord
http://www.c-r.org/accord-article/key-texts-accord-tajikistan

Tehran Declaration,

28 May 1997

From 9 to 16 April and from 22 to 28 May 1997 the final round of the inter-Tajik negotiations on national reconciliation was held in Tehran under United Nations auspices.

The delegation of the Republic of Tajikistan (RT) was headed by Mr. T. Nazarov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the RT.

The delegation of the United Tajik Oppoition (UTO) was headed by Mr. A. Turanjonzoda, First Deputy Leader of the UTO.

Mr. G. Merrem, Special

Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Tajikistan, served as mediator during the negotiations.

Representatives of the Islamic State of Afghanistan, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Krygyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and the Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Orgranization of Islamic Conference (OIC) took part in the negotiations as observers.

The two stages of the final Tehran round of negotiations produced remarkable progress:

agreement was reached on most of the provisions of the Protocol on Political Issues which was signed at the meeting of President of the RT, E. Rakhmonov and the Leader of the UTO, A. Nuri in Bishek on 18 May 1997, as well as the Protocol on Guarantees of Implementation of the General Agreement on Establishment of Peace and National Accord in Tajikistan was agreed and signed.

The Protocol on the Guarantees registers and important agreement of the observer States at the inter-Tajik talks to act as political and moral guarantors of implementation of the General Agreement by the Tajik parties in a comprehensive manner and good faith.

In this context, the Tajik parties expressed the desirability of meetings of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Dushanbe and agreed to include in Protocol a provision about the establishment in Dushanbe of a Contact Group which would be made up of the Ambassador of the observer States accredited there or of Specially appointed representatives, as well as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the Untied Nations of Tajikistan, the Head of OSCE Mission in Tajikistan and a representative of the OIC.

The Protocol on the Guarantees provides for an important role for the United Nations and the OSCE in the process of implementation of the General Agreement which is also regarded as a serious guarantee of its full implementation.

At the same time, the delegations of the Government of the RT and the UTO expressed clearly their political position in the Protocol by having included a provision stating that the most important guarantees of implementation of the General Agreement were their good will and commitment to achieving peace and national accord in the country.

In view of the successful conclusion of the inter-Tajik negotiations on peace and national accord, the delegation of the UTO, in the course of the second stage of the Tehrean round, raised an issue with regard to the future of the Collective Peace-Keeping Forces of the

Commonwealth of Independent States in Tajikistan, their role and functions.

In this connection, the delegation of the Government of the RT stated that the consideration of these issues raised by the UTO delegation was beyond the competence of the inter-Tajik talks.

In connection with the successful conclusion of the inter-Tajik negotiating process, the delegations of the Government of the RT and the UTO, as well as the Special Representative of the Secretary-Genral of the United Nations, note with profound satisfaction and sincere gratitude that since June 1994 the hospitable capital of Iran has hosted four rounds of the inter-Tajik talks and two full-fledged rounds of consultation with the participation of the delegations of both parties and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

One can also hardly overstate the significance for the peace process of two meetings between President RT, E. Rakhmonov and the Leader of the UTO, A. Nuri that took place in July 1995 in Tehran and in February 1997 in Mahshad.

On 17 September 1994 in Tehran visible advance towards peace and national accord in Tajikistan began when the two Tajik sides signed the Agreement on the Temporary Cease-fire and the Cessation of other hostile Acts on the Tajik-Afghan Border and within the country.

Another important milestone was the signing in Tehran on 13 January 1997 of the Protocol on Refugee-related issues.

Today’s signing concludes successfully the inter-Tajik negotiating process.

In this context, the delegations of the Government of the RT and the UTO, as well as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, express their heartfelt gratitude to the Islamic Republic of Iran for their unflagging hospitatlity, assistance and support rendered in the course of a longa and difficult search for the peace formula for Tajikistan.

The sincere apperception for the Islamic Republic of Iran is shared by the entire people of Tajikistan.

The delegations of the Government of RT and the UTO express their profound gratitude to the representatives of the observer States and observer international organisations at the inter-Tajik talks for the support given during the current round of negotiations and their agreement to act as political and moral guarantors of implementation of the General Agreement.

The delegations of the Government of RT and the UTO express their sincere appreciation to Mr. G. Merrem, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for his valuable and tireless efforts that facilitated the successful conclusion of the negotiations.

Talbak Nazarov, Head of the Delegation of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan

Khoja Akbar Turajonzodah, Head of the Delegation of the United Tajik Opposition

Gerd Dietrich Merrem, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Tajikistan

28 May 1997, Tehran