For the first time, Türkiye is hosting the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the world's most important organization in the fight against climate change. The summit, which will be held at the COP31 Area in Antalya between 9-20 November, will bring together 196 countries party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the European Union.
95 COUNTRIES, 7 INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION LEADERS WILL PARTICIPATE
Participation in COP31 is expected from 6 continents. In addition to the leaders of 95 countries, 7 international organizations announced that they will attend COP31 at the leader level. 37 of these leaders will be heads of state, 35 will be heads of government, 8 will be vice presidents, 7 will be deputy prime ministers, 2 will be crown princes, 1 will be a prince, 1 will be the speaker of the parliament and 4 will be special representatives. The European Commission, the UN, the UN General Assembly, the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the International Energy Agency also reported leadership-level participation.
WHICH COUNTRIES PARTICIPATE AT THE LEADING LEVEL?
Organizations that declared leadership level participation in COP31 are as follows: Austria, United Kingdom, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Finland, Greek Cypriot Administration of Southern Cyprus, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Montenegro, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, North Macedonia, Liechtenstein, Malta, Moldova, Norway, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Ukraine, Botswana, Burundi, Algeria, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zimbabwe, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, United Arab Emirates, China, Indonesia, Armenia, Palestine, South Korea, Georgia, Iraq, Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government, Iran, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Maldives, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, Venezuela, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Australia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Niue, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu.
DECISIONS AT COP ARE MADE BY UNANIMOUS UNION OF ALL PARTIES
COP (Conference of the Parties) is considered the highest decision-making body of the UNFCCC, which was adopted in 1992. All states party to the convention are represented at the COP. At their annual sessions, the Parties review the implementation of the Convention and relevant legal instruments, assess global progress and take the necessary decisions to promote an effective and coordinated response to climate change. At the COP, decisions are taken by consensus of all member countries, not by majority vote. 196 countries and the European Union are represented at the COP.
COPS ARE KEY TURNING POINTS IN GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION
One of the main functions of the COP is to review national declarations and greenhouse gas inventories submitted by Parties. Over the years, COP sessions have led to major milestones in global climate action, including the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, and shaped the direction of international climate policy. Türkiye hosted COP31 and assumed the COP31 Presidency. Australia will chair the negotiations. Negotiations between the parties are expected to focus on climate finance, just transition, adaptation and emission reduction. Climate finance, needed in line with the goal of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees compared to the pre-industrial period, will be one of the priority topics of the COP31 negotiations, as in previous COP summits.
Türkiye'S COP31 VISION: IMPLEMENTATION COP
Türkiye is hosting a COP organization for the first time. Türkiye's COP31 Presidency is carried out by Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, according to the Presidential Circular. Türkiye does not view its COP31 hosting role as merely a technical process that manages the negotiation calendar. It attaches importance to joint efforts to turn the decisions and targets taken in the COP processes so far into concrete steps. It wants to contribute to the strengthening of COP31 as a platform that will produce lasting effects on a global scale. Therefore, Türkiye's COP31 vision; It was determined as the 'Implementation COP' with the principles of 'dialogue', 'consensus' and 'action'.
HERE IS THE COP31 PROGRAM
Each day of the conference was devoted to a different theme. The schedule is as follows:
■ 9 November: Food, agriculture and health
■ 10 November: Energy and transportation
■ November 11: First day of zero waste and leaders summit
■ 12 November: Resilient cities, leaders' summit, day 2
■ November 13: Finance and trade
■ 14 November: Children, youth, education and skills
■ 15 November: Social and cultural programs in Antalya
■ 16 November: Science, industry and technology
■ November 17: Oceans, seas, nature and land use
■ 18 November: Human and social development
■ 19 November: İmece, strengthening the implementation
■ 20 November: Final negotiations and closing
