The key facts

  • COP31 is taking place in Antalya on 9–20 November; Turkey is hosting the summit for the first time
  • 102 leaders from 95 countries and seven international organizations are expected
  • Uzbekistan is included in the list of participating countries; Turkey is the summit president, Australia leads the negotiations

Scale of participation

The UN Climate Change Conference COP31 has opened in Antalya and will run from 9 to 20 November. According to the Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, 102 leaders representing 95 countries and seven international organizations will attend the summit, with participation spanning six continents. In total, 196 states and the EU are taking part in the negotiations as parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Uzbekistan is named among the participants from Asia and the Middle East — on the same list as Azerbaijan, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and other countries of the region.

Who and what is represented

The expected composition of delegation leaders: 37 heads of state, 35 heads of government, eight vice presidents, seven deputy prime ministers, two crown princes, one prince, one speaker of parliament and four special representatives. At the leadership level, seven international organizations have confirmed participation: the European Commission, the UN, the UN General Assembly, the World Bank, the OECD, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the International Energy Agency.

Format and agenda

Turkey is hosting a COP climate summit for the first time: the Minister Murat Kurum has been appointed president of COP31, while Australia chairs the negotiation process. The Turkish side has defined the summit's vision as a 'COP of implementation' with the principles of 'dialogue', 'consensus' and 'action' — the stated goal is to translate the decisions of previous summits into concrete steps. Key topics are expected to include climate finance, a just transition, adaptation and emissions reduction; financing measures to keep temperature rise within 1.5 °C, as at previous summits, will remain the central issue. A reminder: the COP is the supreme body of the 1992 Framework Convention, and its decisions are made by consensus of all parties rather than by majority vote; it was at past conferences that the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement were adopted.