COP31 World Leaders’ Summit: Bangladesh Confirms PM as Antalya Announces Traffic Measures
Bangladesh says its prime minister will attend the COP31 World Leaders' Summit on 11–12 November, as Antalya sets traffic measures for 9–13 November.
ANTALYA / DHAKA, 19 October 2026 – Preparations for the COP31 World Leaders’ Summit are gathering pace. Bangladesh has told Türkiye its prime minister will attend, while authorities in Antalya have announced traffic and transport arrangements for the first days of the conference.
Bangladesh confirms attendance
On 18 October, Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaed Islam, informed Türkiye that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would take part in the World Leaders’ Summit scheduled for 11–12 November. She also congratulated Türkiye on hosting COP31, and Turkish Ambassador Ramis Şen briefed her on preparations during a courtesy meeting.
The Presidency plans to convene the summit in the early days of the conference so leaders can announce new, concrete and implementable climate action.
Antalya’s traffic plan
Closer to the ground, local authorities have set out measures to keep the city moving. Traffic and transport restrictions are planned between the Dikmen and Altınova junctions from 9 to 13 November. Freight deliveries by truck and similar vehicles are to take place between 22:00 and 06:00. Residents are being asked to plan trips in advance, follow signs and use public transport where possible. Officials stressed cooperation among public bodies, local governments, the tourism sector and residents so that guests have a smooth experience while daily life continues as normally as possible.
What the presidencies are asking
The summit comes at a delicate moment for trust in climate diplomacy. On 16 October, representatives of three successive COP presidencies met to discuss how to restore trust in climate action as warming impacts are already felt. Brazil, which hosted COP30, named three priorities for Antalya: making the new just transition mechanism operational, improving how countries measure adaptation progress, and expanding climate investment in developing countries struggling with debt.
Background: how COP31 is organised
COP31 is held at the Antalya Expo Center from 9 to 20 November. Türkiye hosts and presides over the conference, with Australia leading the negotiations under an agreed partnership. The Pacific Pre-COP, held in Fiji and Tuvalu on 5–8 October, was the last major ministerial meeting before Antalya.
The hosting arrangements have also drawn scrutiny from rights groups. Under the hosting agreement, participants have a duty not to interfere in Türkiye’s internal affairs, a clause that returned after being dropped for the Brazil summit, and Amnesty International says it could chill free expression. The same document gives accredited attendees immunity from legal action over what they say, write or do in connection with the conference. Kurum has said his team would try to meet civil society requests and give activists a free space to express themselves.
Why it matters
Leader-level attendance is a signal of how seriously governments take a summit. Early confirmations, such as Bangladesh’s, help organisers plan security, protocol and logistics for the 11–12 November segment. Bangladesh is one of the countries most exposed to floods and rising seas, so its presence adds weight to the adaptation and finance debate that Brazil and others want to prioritise.
The traffic plan, meanwhile, shows the practical side of hosting. With tens of thousands of delegates expected, moving freight at night and encouraging public transport are basic steps to avoid gridlock on routes between hotels, the airport and the Expo site. How well the plan works will shape delegates’ first impressions.
Conclusion
With three weeks to go, COP31 is moving from planning to execution. Leaders are confirming travel, the city is setting rules for the busiest days, and the negotiating agenda is taking shape around finance, adaptation and a just transition. The open questions are whether commitments announced in the leaders’ segment will be concrete enough to rebuild trust, and whether the host’s arrangements for civil society participation will meet expectations.
Sources: The Business Standard (Bangladesh); Serik Postası; UN News; Climate Home News.
