COP31 Presidency Briefing on Operations and Logistics

Good afternoon, everybody. I'm Wasi Mir, the Director for Conference Affairs at UNFCCC, responsible for working with the government of Turkey for delivering the operations of COP31 in Antalya. So we have the pleasure in a minute to have presentations from our colleague, Deputy Minister Burak Demirgop, on COP31 operations. The presentation will be in Turkish, so please make sure you have your headsets ready and use channel one. So that's channel one for the interpretation from Turkish into English. The COP is the biggest UN conference we hold annually. It attracts, we expect over 60,000 people this year to Antalya. The COP is also uniquely challenging because there are no countries that have a venue that could easily hold a COP without any work. So our colleagues from Turkey have to largely construct a venue from scratch and put together all operations from scratch to be able to deliver effectively. But through their hard work, you'll find out very soon through the hard work and dedication, we are in a very good space to deliver COP 31 to a very high standard. So with that, I will now pass the floor to Deputy Minister Demil Drap for his presentation and intervention.

Thank you. Thank you very much, distinguished representatives of the UN. Everyone, welcome. Today, I'm pleased to share with you Turkey's vision as we prepare to host this global climate summit, as well as the progress we have made in preparations for COP31. Since we assumed the presidency for COP31, we have been working under the leadership of COP31 President-designate Minister Murat Kurum. As he has set out at the outset as well and frequently emphasized, three fundamental pillars, which is dialogue, consensus, and action. As Wassim also said, there is tremendous effort involved and we have been treading diligently for the past six months. So on this occasion, I would like to thank all of my colleagues who have been involved. We will kick off with a three minute video to show you the preparations at the COP31 venue.

Climate change is reshaping the world we live in, marking the beginning of a new era. As cities, energy, industry, and technology continue to transform, international cooperation has never been more important in shaping our shared future. From November 9 to 20, 2026, Turkey will host COP31, with Antalya as its host city. COP31 will bring together leaders, decision makers, scientists, entrepreneurs, young people, and civil society representatives from around the world, creating a platform for dialogue, consensus, and action on climate change. Spanning more than 1 million square meters, the COP31 site brings this global gathering together across two main hubs: the Blue Zone and the Green Zone. Blue Zone. Covering approximately 527,000 square meters, the Blue Zone is the diplomatic and negotiation center of COP31. From the World Climate Action Summit and official negotiations to country pavilions, presidency events, panels and hundreds of side events, it will host an extensive program at the center of global climate diplomacy. Within approximately 163,000 square meters of built-up space, the site includes a 1,600-seat main plenary hall and a second plenary hall with a capacity of 1,300, alongside 28 meeting rooms, press conference rooms, and spaces for special and side events. 18,850 square meters are allocated to country pavilions, while 6,325 square meters of office space support the working and coordination needs of delegations. Supported by digital infrastructure, meeting facilities, and dedicated workspaces, the Blue Zone brings the key elements of global climate diplomacy together in one center. The Green Zone. While the Blue Zone is where the world negotiates the future, the Green Zone is where climate action, innovation, culture, and public engagement take center stage. Covering approximately 582,000 square meters, the Green Zone connects the climate agenda with society, technology, culture, and everyday life. Zero waste, climate finance, energy and mobility, science and technology, resilient cities, green industrialization, culture and civilization, children and youth, and the startup zone. Together, these themes shape a diverse program of experiences, dialogue, and engagement around climate action and sustainability. At the heart of the Green Zone stands the iconic COP31 tower. At its base, the Startup Zone provides a platform for innovative ideas in climate and sustainability to connect with investors and new opportunities. At approximately 2,000 square meters, the Turkey Pavilion will serve as a national showcase, presenting Turkey's climate policies, zero-waste vision, energy transition, and sustainable urban development to an international audience. One of the Green Zone's key gathering points, the Congress Center, has a total capacity of 6,250 and will host international panels, academic workshops, technology programs, and cultural events. A 5,000-seat main amphitheater and an 800-seat small amphitheater extend this program into the open air. cultural dimension of the Green Zone includes the Anatolian Garden and 7 regions, 7 cuisines, bringing together the cultural and gastronomic heritage of Anatolia with nature, local production, and a zero-waste approach. But preparations for COP31 do not stop at the summit site. The routes leading to the site are also undergoing extensive improvements. As part of this effort, improvements have been completed along the 38-kilometer Belek Tourism Road. as well as across more than 21 kilometers of main arteries and 12 connecting roads, including a total of 16 kilometers of completed works. Together, these investments are helping create a safer, more comfortable, and more resilient transport network for the region. In this way, the preparations for COP31 extend beyond the summit itself. They are contributing to a lasting infrastructure legacy for Antalya and the wider region. In the blue zone, the world negotiates the future. In the green zone, that future is explored through innovation, engagement, and action. The world comes together in Antalya, and together, we shape the future.

Yes, as you have seen in the video, thank you. the preparations are on the way now I would like to brief you on the planning for participants we have meticulously completed the planning for every stage of the journey of participants from their arrival in Antalya and until their departure the preparations are under three stages, pre-arrival preparations, shuttle services and route planning, accommodation and COP31 venue planning. I would particularly like to emphasize that Antalya and Antalya Airport, which welcome millions of visitors every year, have the capacity and operational capability to comfortably host an operation of this scale. The airport is only 12 kilometers away from the city center, which is a 10-minute drive. We have identified seven main routes providing uninterrupted access to the COP31 venue from Antalya city center and all major accommodation sites. Along these routes, More than 550 vehicles, the majority of which are electric and hybrid, will provide free public transportation services for all participants who make their reservations through the official website. In addition, a light rail line operating between the city center, the airport, and the COP31 venue will provide free transportation. For participants, our aim is to serve you with Turkish hospitality while ensuring access to these services. In this way, we want all participants to be able to devote their valuable time and energy to negotiations. We have carefully worked on all arrangements to ensure the safety and comfort of the leaders. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Beris Akinji, will provide detailed information regarding the preparation of leaders. Therefore, I will only briefly summarize this section. We have prepared arrangements for the Leaders Summit together with the Director General of Presidential Protection Services, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and officials of the United Nations Security and Safety Service. These preparations are in two stages. If leaders directly travel from the airport to the COP31 venue, they will use the route shown on the screen to reach the venue. If they travel from the airport to their hotels, then they will use the route that you can see on the screen. for leaders' accommodation. We recommend hotels in the Belek district of Antalya. This area will be designated as a high-security zone. Also, for the leaders' summit to be held on November 11-12, some routes will be allocated exclusively for the transportation of leaders. We also anticipate strong interest and high level participation from members of international press. To ensure they experience no transportation difficulties and can easily travel from their accommodation to COP31 venue, we recommend that they stay in Lara and Kunduz districts. This area offers significant advantages due to its high accommodation capacity and its location, which does not overlap with the transportation routes designated for leaders. Of course, at COP31, hosted by Turkey, we will address a number of highly important issues. With the contributions from parties and stakeholders, we have identified 10 priority areas under the action agenda, which are zero waste, oceans and seas, food security, climate resilient cities, climate action implementation bridge, youth and education, green industrialization, clean energy transition and electrification, Rio synergy, dynamic and resilient health systems. These 10 items will form the backbone of the negotiation agenda and will enable us to focus on the key elements of green transformation. Building on our vision of a implementation COP and COP of the future, we have also identified targets in six areas for the year 2035. The first one is increasing the rate of electrification to 35%, reducing the rate of waste generation and waste-related emissions, reducing energy consumption in buildings, promoting the use of circular materials, providing climate literacy and green skills training, and establishing the climate implementation bridge to mobilize financing. Of course, in line with these elements, we also have identified thematic days, which we have shared with the broad public. From the very beginning, we have been planning COP31 as an implementation COP, and unlike previous COPs, we have set some thematic areas that also draw inspiration from our own culture. The most important one is Zero Waste, an initiative that was born in Turkey under the auspices of Her Excellency Emina Erdan, the First Lady of the Republic of Turkey, which then became a global brand. In addition, Imaj, which represents the spirit of collective effort and solidarity, and also a breath in Antalya. These are some of the distinct themes of COP31. I would also like to share with you an update on the highly sought after pavilions and delegation offices. As you know, the application has been completed. Among the approved applications, we have 98 parties, 72 NGOs, 39 intergovernmental organizations, and 16 UN agencies. Allocations have also been made and locations have been communicated for 225 pavilions and 103 delegation offices. At COP31, we have introduced various concepts where examples from Turkey's rich culinary tradition will be offered. And our site layout has been designed in a way that all participants will be able to reach a food or beverage point within a maximum of 80 steps. Our teams, including Michelin star chefs, will present examples from various regions of the Turkish cuisine. We hope that Turkey's rich culinary heritage will be enjoyed by all participants. Now, I would also like to brief you on the Green Zone. Based on our action agenda and priority areas, we have established thematic hubs. These will offer participants a hands-on experience on zero waste awareness, provide unique experiences in the fields of energy, transport, science and technology, bring entrepreneurs together with investors at the startup zone, and introduce our ancient cultural heritage to the world through the culture and civilization hub. Alongside with the startup zone, I would also like to briefly mention the COP Art Project, which is an innovative project for the COP ecosystem. The goal is not to limit COP31 to negotiations, but to combine our environmental and climate messages with art. This way, COP31 will become not only a venue for negotiation, but also an experiential hub where environmental awareness meets art. In addition to a host of cultural and artistic events, COP Art will provide us with the opportunity to exhibit works of art by renowned artists from around the world at the COP31 venue. All operations are underway with a zero-waste approach. At the COP31 venue, I would like to present the Zero Waste Museum, which will be open to visitors from both the Green Zone and the Blue Zone. The Zero Waste Museum has been designed in the form of a five leaf structure, each leaf presenting visitors with a different theme related to zero waste awareness. We also take the zero waste vision to rural areas. In this context, we have three villages in Antalya included in the Zero Waste Village project, and the visitors will have the opportunity to visit these sites. Shaped around a modern village concept, our project will feature training programs, interactive activities and artistic exhibitions centered on zero waste principles. These areas will present a vision of village life where everyday living comes together with zero waste awareness. So while preparing for the COP31 venue, we also continue to work on to provide participants with convenience and additional services. Preparations have been completed. All the services our guests may need will be accessible through our official website, cop31.tr. We also attach particular importance to accommodation reservations being made through the official agency official website. You will be able to choose among from more than 250 hotels available through the system and enjoy accommodation services. As I mentioned earlier, I would also like to briefly explain the other services offered by our partners and to our stakeholders and participants as listed on our website. Through Turkish Airlines, which flies to more destinations worldwide than any other airline, COP31 participants will be able to purchase airline tickets at special discounted rates. You will also be able to rent vehicles, arrange shuttle services, receive support on logistics issues, customs clearance and related matters. We also adopt an inclusive approach that takes into account all the needs of participants with disabilities. Universal accessibility is a fundamental priority at every stage. We plan airport, hotel, and on-site transportation and accommodation processes in an accessible way. Another innovation is the COP31 mobile application, which will bring together the entire experience in the Blue Zone and the Green Zone on a single digital platform. This way, participants will be able to access information and services that they need quickly and easily. Through the application, participants will be able to view their selected accommodation facility on a map, access information on the nearest public transport stop, as well routes and lines serving that stop and reach COP31 venue easily and quickly. In addition, rapid communication channels including an SMS service, a WhatsApp line and QR code reporting, these were established so that visitors can access assistance whenever they need it. work on comprehensive preparations to respond as quickly as possible to any emergency healthcare needs of visitors at COP31. So these preparations have been planned. Our medical teams will provide uninterrupted services on a 24/7 basis, both at the venue and to wider Antalya region. And security planning of COP31 is carried out under three pillars, VVIP security, participant security, and cybersecurity. VVIP security will be coordinated by the presidency office, firefighting services, early warning systems, emergency response plans, and high-level cybersecurity measures will be in place at the venue. So we have close collaboration with the UN Secretariat. Individuals registered for COP31 will be able to obtain their visas through the official e-visa platform. Also, dedicated visa services will be provided for our guests at Turkey's diplomatic missions and border gates. Of course, the Deputy Minister from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will offer you more information on this matter. Thank you very much for your attention. This was a brief summary, but as I said before, there's a tremendous effort here. All of our line ministries, and all of my teammates at the Ministry, I would like to thank every one of them. So you are most welcome in Antalya, and I would like to give the floor to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Thank you very much.

Excellencies, distinguished members of the diplomatic community, it's a pleasure to welcome you all to today's briefing. Let me begin with the basic arrangements for COP31 Leaders Summit. The Leaders Summit will take place in the first week of COP31 on 11th, 12th November 2026 in the Blue Zone in Antalya. The summit aims to bring world leaders together to raise political ambition, announce concrete and implementable climate commitments, launch key initiatives and provide positive momentum for the negotiations throughout COP31. The Blue Zone is a UN-managed security perimeter and therefore requires UN accreditation. This differs from the green zone, which is managed by the host country and is also open to civil society and the private sector. Here you can see slide two. Here you can see the site map of the blue zone as well as the adjacent green zone. And we will present the latest draft program in greater detail in the following slides. At this stage, however, we would like to give you a brief overview of the main components of the summit. This will include arrival of heads of state and government, meet and greet upon arrival at the blue zone, handshake ceremony, family photo, official opening ceremony, bilateral meetings, gala dinner, COP31 presidency events and host country roundtables, UN Secretary-General's events, and national statements. Here, you can see the latest draft programme of the Leaders' Summit. Although some elements of the programme remain to be confirmed and there may be minor changes to the timings, the programme now includes more details than the version we presented at our first general briefing in Ankara on 1 September. I also would like to bring to your attention that most of the information provided today will be formally captured by and finalized in a message to parties that the UNFCCC Secretariat will issue in the coming days. Day one is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. with the arrival of heads of state and government at the Blue Zone. Upon arrival, leaders are expected to be welcomed by His Excellency President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Given the large number of expected participants, the meet and greet will necessarily take some time. During this period, leaders will have the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings and visit national pavilions in the Blue Zone. 00 and 11:45 is allocated for this purpose. The meet and greet will be followed by the family photo and the official opening at 11:45. The positioning of participants for the family photo will be determined in accordance with UN protocol order. The attendance format for the official opening ceremony is 1+3, including the head of delegation. Parties attending COP31 will have access to the official opening ceremony, and tickets will be provided to UN organizations, IGOs, and delegations with no head of state government as head of delegation. Please note that attendance at this ceremony will only be possible with a head of state government pin, secondary badges, or tickets. I will brief you on pins and badges in the upcoming slides. After the opening of the ceremony, their excellencies, President Erdogan and UN Secretary General Guterres and Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, are expected to deliver remarks followed by a cultural program, which is scheduled to commence at 12:15 p.m. Following a short break, we plan to commence the official high level segment of the summit at 2 p.m. In brief, it will provide the framework for the delivery of national statements and the convening of host country high-level events, high-level party events, and roundtable meetings. Admission to high-level events will be subject to tickets issued by the UN. Day one will conclude with a gala dinner hosted by His Excellency, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and First Lady, Emine Erdogan, for heads of state and government. Where a head of state or government is accompanied by their spouse, the attendance format for the dinner will be one plus one. Where no spouse is present, attendance will be limited to the head of state or government. The venue for the gala dinner is the NEST Congress Center, which has hosted the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in recent years. On day two, national statements and roundtable meetings will continue. The summit is scheduled to finish at 5:00 p.m. on November 12th. Let me now update you on the modalities of the high-level segment of the summit. Four seats, one plus three, for each party delegation will be available for the opening of the high-level segment and delivery of national statements. The head of delegation is included in those four seats. Delegates who do not have a seat in the plenary due to the level of attendance at the summit will be able to follow the live webcast of the opening of the high-level segment in an overflow room. Access modalities to the plenary room during the delivery of national statements will be communicated at later stage. Let me now move on to the national statements as part of this segment. Please note that the parties whose head of state or government will attend the high-level segment and deliver a national statement need to request a slot for speaking. This is done only with registration via the online registration system of the UNFCCC. The online registration system was open for registration on September 7 and will close on October 16 at midnight Central European Summer Time. There will be no statements on behalf of groups during the first part of the high-level segment. The delivery of statements will be determined based on the time of inscription on a first-come, first-served basis and the protocol order of the UN. In order to keep the program on schedule, we kindly ask parties to limit their national statements to three minutes. An important detail we want to emphasize is that only leaders as defined by the UN can deliver national statements. This includes heads of state, crown prince, princesses, vice presidents, heads of government. As part of high-level segment, some host country high-level events will be organized. Their details, both in terms of content and logistics, will be announced later. Those events will be open to invited Heads of State governments with pins and participants with session-specific tickets. Invited participants will be informed in due course by the COP31 Presidency team. Similarly, a limited number of high-level party events will be organized over the course of two days we kindly ask to limit each event maximum to 1 and 1/2 hours in duration at least two heads of state government shall be in attendance and request to host highlevel party events will be considered on a first come first serve basis parties to host highlevel party events are asked to submit the registration before September 28th Now, I would like to provide some operational information on how to arrange bilateral meetings. As I mentioned during the presentation on the draft program, there will be opportunities on November 11 and 12 for bilaterals. Rooms for bilaterals will be available in the VVIP area inside the red zone. We will reflect the plan of the VVIP area in our slides shortly. We encourage parties to make their room bookings as early as possible, given that there will be a considerable demand for these rooms, and the bookings will be handled by the UNFCCC Secretariat on a first-come, first-served basis. Requesting party should make the reservation through the UNFCCC Secretariat by providing the details of the secondary party. We also listed some important information regarding the use of the rooms as well as the amenities available on our slide. It is important to note that parties wishing to have their country table flags in the bilateral meeting room are kindly requested to provide them themselves. At this stage, I would like to turn to some of the core logistical and operational arrangements for the summit. Accommodation Antalya can be booked through the official COP31 website. Accommodation will be secured for leaders. The World Leaders Accommodation Portal has been active since the beginning of August. The UNFCCC Secretariat has sent out regular reminders to parties about this link. We are aware that some for emissions have already begun making reservations through private booking platforms. However, to facilitate coordination and avoid logistical difficulties, we strongly encourage all delegations to arrange their accommodation through the official COP31 website. Accreditation badges will be issued to members of each delegation according to the level of participation. The Leaders' Summit is part of COP31. Therefore, all members of the delegation, including the heads of state and governments and their entourage, need to be registered through the official registration system of COP31 to receive badges. This system has been open since July 2026. Please note that there will be a system of pins and secondary badges for leaders and entourages attending the Leaders' Summit. The system allows them to move freely within the Leaders' Summit area, which is the VVIP red area inside the blue zone. For security reasons, secondary badges will not be provided if badges are lost or misplaced. One designated liaison officer from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be assigned to each delegation participating at the level of a leader. The liaison officer will remain dedicated to the delegation throughout the summit. For access to the VVIP area in the red area of the blue zone, heads of state government will receive one lapel pin. A maximum of three accompanying members will receive a secondary badge. Additionally, an unarmed personal protection officer of the head of delegation will receive a national security officer badge to enter the red area. Thus, delegations headed by a head of state or government will receive a total of one plus three badges for the VVIP area. The number of secondary badges for the VVIP red area is determined by the UN protocol. These secondary badges are interchangeable, therefore outside the VVIP area, they can be exchanged among delegation members as needed. The Turkish close protection officer provided by Turkey will not be allowed into the VVIP area with the head of delegation. However, the designated liaison officer provided by Turkey will accompany their delegation inside this area. These pins and badges will be distributed to each delegation by their respective Turkish liaison officer. Official photographers and media following the head of the delegation will likewise not have access to the VVIP area. In addition to liaison officers, interpreters and protocol officers accompanying the delegation can enter the red area. Please note that ministers serving as heads of delegation will not have access to this area unless they are accompanying a head of state or government as part of their national delegation. Likewise, ministers serving as heads of delegation will not participate in the family photo, attend the gala dinner, or deliver national statements. Also, for bilateral meetings in this red area, specific bilateral badges will be allocated to give access to additional members of the entourage with the leaders. These two slides show the layout of the VVIP area and its various sections. This area will include a meet and greet area at its entrance, a leaders' lounge with a capacity of approximately 600 people, a plenary hall for the official opening ceremony and national statements, and four rooms for roundtable meetings. The possibility of providing one talk vehicle to each delegation is currently under consideration. Organizers will issue S1, VVIP, and P1 passes for delegation vehicles. Delegations participating at the ministerial level will be expected to arrange their own transportation. As I mentioned, the Government of Turkey will provide one designated liaison officer for each delegation attending the Summit at the level of a leader. The definition of leader for COPs is limited to heads of state, crown princes and crown princesses, vice presidents and heads of government. Deputy prime ministers and ministers are not included in this definition. Therefore, we will not be able to provide liaison officers to delegations participating at the level of deputy prime minister, minister or below. These liaison officers will serve as the key point of contact for the heads of state government during their time in Turkey. They will hand over the access badges to the delegation, as I already stated. Names and contact details of the designated liaison officers will be provided by the government of Turkey to guest nations through diplomatic missions in Turkey. Briefings on the COP area organized by the UN and the government of Turkey are tentatively scheduled for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd November. Further details will be announced soon. The briefings will cover the airport, meeting venues, and transport arrangements. Participation will be limited to two persons from each party and their respective liaison officers. Parties with no head of state or government attending the Leaders' Summit will not be able to attend the walkthrough of the Red Zone. Advance visits by individual countries cannot be arranged, and no visits will be permitted during the setup of the conference facilities. The visa and entry procedures for COP31 participants are being implemented in accordance with COP31 host country agreement. Since April 1st, our ministry and the UNFCCC secretariat have been working closely to ensure a smooth and efficient visa process for all participants. The COP31 visa is an electronic multiple entry visa issued free of charge and valid from the 1st to 30th of November to cover COP31 and its pre-sessional meetings while allowing sufficient time for participants to arrive and depart. All COP31 participants are required to submit an online application through Turkey's eVisa platform. Details are now available on the official COP31 portal. COP31 participants who are normally exempt from visa requirements for travel to Turkey are nevertheless required to apply through the electronic platform to obtain a special document confirming their visa-exempt status. COP31 participants who require a visa to travel to Turkey need to apply for the COP31 visa through the same platform. Only duly registered COP31 participants are eligible for either the COP31 visa or the visa exemption certificate. COP31 participants are required to create a user account, complete the forms and upload their passport size photos. Once approved, they can download their COP31 visa or the visa exemption certificate through the same platform. Delegations headed by a head of state or government are requested to contact our Director General of Protocol and Diplomatic Affairs regarding protocol arrangements, including special visa procedures. UNFCCC Secretariat has recently sent out an e-mail to the focal points providing these details and the relevant application links. To conclude our presentation, we would like to share with you a timeline of important milestones in the run-up to COP31. By the end of this month, the UNFCCC Secretariat is expected to deliver a communication to parties covering the logistical and operational matters I touched upon, as well as details pertaining to media, interpretation, tickets for access to the opening ceremony and high-level events. Next month, the UN will host a virtual briefing on the Leaders' Summit, while the Turkish task force will begin its on-site preparations in Antalya. As I mentioned earlier, on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd November, we plan to organize advanced team briefings and site visits to the COP31 venue in Antalya for the protocol teams of delegations participating at the level of heads of state or government. We are making every effort to ensure that the COP31 Leaders' Summit will add another success to Turkey's strong record of hosting major international events. More importantly, we hope that the Summit will provide strong political momentum for climate action and contribute to making COP31 a true COP of implementation. We look forward to welcoming your delegations to Antalya in November. Thank you.

Thank you very much to both Deputy Ministers for their presentations. As you can see, preparations for COP31 are well advanced and we are in good shape to deliver a very successful COP, including the Leaders' Summit in Antalya. Unfortunately, due to constraints on time, we do not have time for questions. today, but if you do have follow-up questions, please do contact us through the relevant e-mail addresses in the UNFCCC website, for example, if visas@unfccc.int if it's a visas question, registration@unfccc.int if it's a registration question. and I'm sure we'll be able to address any specific questions you have that may be part of the follow-up from this presentation. So with that, I'd really like to thank both our Deputy Ministers and the delegation of Turkey for all their amazing work to get us this far. So thank you very much.