Türkiye to host COP31 with 102 leaders from 95 countries

The Turkish Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry announced Friday that 102 leaders representing 95 countries and seven international organizations are expected to attend the UN's COP31 Climate Change Conference in Antalya, with the summit running from Nov. 9-20 and marking the first time Türkiye has hosted the event since the convention's adoption in 1992.

Global participation across six continents

The attendee list includes 37 heads of state, 35 heads of government, eight vice presidents, seven deputy prime ministers, two crown princes, one prince, one parliamentary speaker, and four special representatives, according to the ministry statement. Seven international organizations have confirmed participation at the leadership level, including the European Commission, the UN, the UN General Assembly, the World Bank, the OECD, the OIC, and the IEA.

European participants include Austria, the UK, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Finland, the Greek Cypriot administration, and the Netherlands. Spain, Sweden, Italy, Montenegro, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, North Macedonia, Liechtenstein, Malta, Moldova, Norway, Russia, Slovenia and Ukraine will also send representatives.

African nations sending leaders include Botswana, Burundi, Algeria, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Comoros, and the Republic of the Congo. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Zimbabwe round out the continental representation.

Asian and Middle Eastern representation will come from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates, China, Indonesia, Armenia, Palestine, South Korea, Georgia, Iraq, the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government, Iran, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, the Maldives, Malaysia, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The Americas will send representatives from Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, Venezuela, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia, while Australia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Niue, Palau, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu will represent Oceania.

Consensus-based decision making

The Conference of the Parties serves as the supreme decision-making body of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, adopted in 1992 to coordinate global response to climate change. All 196 countries and the EU — parties to the convention — are represented at COP meetings, where they review implementation and assess progress toward emissions goals.

Decisions are adopted by consensus among all parties rather than by majority vote, requiring extensive diplomatic coordination. Over the years, COP meetings have produced major milestones including the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, which have shaped international climate policy and established binding emissions targets for developed nations.

Türkiye's 'Implementation COP' vision

Türkiye holds the COP31 presidency and serves as host while Australia chairs the negotiations, with Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum serving as COP31 president under a presidential circular. Ankara views its hosting role as an opportunity to encourage collective efforts to translate past summit commitments into concrete action rather than merely managing the negotiation schedule.

Accordingly, Türkiye has defined its COP31 vision as an "Implementation COP" — guided by the principles of "dialogue," "consensus," and "action." Discussions are expected to focus on climate finance, a just transition, adaptation, and emissions reduction, with the finance needed to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C above preindustrial levels expected to remain a central issue throughout the negotiations.