COP31 Opens Applications for Partnerships and Side Events

Applications for Partnerships and Türkiye Pavilion Side Events are open until August 14, 2026, as Türkiye prepares to host its first UN Climate Change Conference in Antalya this November.

The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has opened applications for Partnerships and Side Events. Applications are now open for COP31, which will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9–20, 2026, under the presidency of Türkiye and the leadership of Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change and COP31 President Murat Kurum.

A Milestone Year for Global Climate Diplomacy

The Conference of the Parties is the highest-level annual gathering under the UNFCCC, which was adopted in 1992 and has since become the primary international platform for negotiating collective climate action. Since the first COP convened in 1995, the summit has produced landmark agreements including the Kyoto Protocol and the 2015 Paris Agreement, and has evolved into a sprawling annual event bringing together heads of state, government ministers, scientists, businesses, civil society groups and youth representatives from nearly 200 countries.

COP31 carries particular significance as Türkiye’s first time hosting the summit. The hosting arrangement followed a competitive bidding process, with both Türkiye and Australia having sought to host the 2026 conference. COP30, held in Belém, Brazil, ultimately accepted Türkiye’s offer to host COP31 in Antalya, while endorsing a shared arrangement in which Australia serves as “President of Negotiations” alongside Türkiye’s overall presidency — a hybrid leadership model reflecting the compromise reached between the two bidding nations.

Beyond the main conference, COP31 will also encompass the 21st Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP21), the eighth Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA8), and the 65th sessions of the UNFCCC’s Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and Subsidiary Body for Implementation. The conference will be held at the Antalya Expo Center, with preparatory Pre-COP meetings scheduled to take place in Fiji and Tuvalu — a nod to the outsized climate vulnerability faced by Pacific island nations.

COP31 also marks a transition point in the rotating regional presidency system that governs the UNFCCC process. It follows COP30 in Belém, Brazil, and precedes COP32, which the African Group of countries will host in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2027 — meaning Antalya represents the final stop before the summit returns to African leadership for the first time since earlier in the decade.

From Negotiation to Implementation

Organizers have framed COP31’s central mission as moving “from dialogue and commitments to practical implementation,” positioning the summit as a critical juncture in the broader UNFCCC process. Following the conclusions of the Global Stocktake and the expected submission of a new round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0) by participating countries, COP31 is expected to focus heavily on closing the remaining gap between current national climate pledges and the emissions reductions needed to keep global warming within the Paris Agreement’s target range.

Climate finance is also expected to feature prominently, building on the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance concluded at COP29 in Baku. Discussions in Antalya are expected to address how that finance goal will be operationalized, alongside continued work on adaptation funding and loss and damage support for vulnerable nations.

Applications Now Open for Partners and Side Events

As one of the most significant international conferences held under the United Nations, COP31 will be hosted by Türkiye for the first time, and organizers are strongly encouraging participation from national and international public institutions, local governments, civil society organizations, academia, the private sector, and other stakeholders.

Within this framework, applications for side events, promotional activities, and other related engagements requested by stakeholders can now be submitted through dedicated online portals, with a submission deadline of August 14, 2026. Applicants are advised to carefully review the official requirements, application procedures, and submission guidelines published on the relevant portals before applying.

How to Apply

• COP31 Partnership Applications: partnership.cop31.center
• Türkiye Pavilion Side Event Applications: turkiyepavilionsideevent.cop31.center
• Application deadline: August 14, 2026

Building Momentum Ahead of Antalya

The COP31 Presidency has already begun building partnerships ahead of the summit, including a recently announced collaboration between Kurum and Bloomberg Philanthropies founder Michael R. Bloomberg, aimed at mobilizing finance, convening business and finance leaders, and accelerating implementation ahead of the conference. The partnership is intended to support the COP31 Presidency’s broader Action Agenda, a set of initiatives designed to complement the formal negotiating track with concrete, near-term climate action from governments, businesses and civil society.

The involvement of major philanthropic and financial institutions in the run-up to COP31 reflects a broader trend across recent climate summits, where governments increasingly rely on partnerships with the private sector and civil society to help translate international commitments into on-the-ground action. Organizers have also opened a separate volunteer programme for individuals looking to gain experience supporting the conference, alongside introducing Caretta, a sea turtle mascot inspired by the species that nests along Antalya’s Mediterranean coastline, as part of the summit’s broader public engagement efforts.

With the application window for partnerships and side events now open, organizations across sectors have roughly two months to prepare submissions ahead of the August 14 deadline, positioning themselves to take part in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched climate summits in recent years.

Source: COP31 Türkiye official conference portal; UNFCCC; SDG Knowledge Hub.