COP 31

Introduction and Overview

Africa is among the regions most exposed to climate change. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), African countries lose on average 2 to 5 percent of their GDP each year to climate extremes, while only about 40 percent of the population is covered by early warning systems. Reliable climate information and early warning are therefore central to Africa's adaptation priorities and to the global Early Warnings for All initiative.

The United Nations (UN) annual climate change conference, also known as the ‘Conference of the Parties’ or ‘COP’, brings together world leaders, ministers and negotiators to agree on how to address climate change.

The negotiation parties include governments that have signed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol and/or the Paris Agreement. The COPs are also attended by thousands of representatives from civil society, the private sector, international organizations and the media.

The UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) is a regular event once a year to analyze progress, assess achievements, discuss existing or emerging challenges and developments, and agree on the way forward for the implementation of the Convention.

The 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) will take place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026. It brings together Heads of State and Government, ministers, negotiators, UN agencies, regional institutions, the private sector, civil society and youth to advance the implementation of the Paris Agreement, including on adaptation, loss and damage, finance and systematic observation. The summit operates under a joint leadership framework: the COP31 Presidency is led by Murat Kurum, Türkiye's Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, driving the Action Agenda, while Chris Bowen, Australia's Minister for Climate Change and Energy, oversees the central negotiation tracks. COP31 encompasses the sessions of COP 31, CMP 21, and CMA 8.

COP31 is important for several reasons, not least because it marks the conclusion of the first global stocktake (GST), the main mechanism through which progress under the Paris Agreement is assessed. It is clear the world is not on track to meeting the agreement’s goals, there is hope that governments at COP31 will come up with a roadmap to accelerate climate action.

The participation at COP31 is in line with ACMAD's strategic objective 2, which is to ensure quality climate services for resilience and adaptation to the impacts of climate change; it is also an important event in the implementation of the ClimSA Project and this activity is planned in the schedule of activities for the second half of 2026.

At COP31, ACMAD’s vision is to position itself as the leading continental scientific hub leveraging artificial intelligence and advanced climate modelling to bridge climate intelligence with sectoral action, specifically in health and disaster resilience, while supporting member states in translating data-driven insights into life-saving policies

Mission Objective

To ensure an effective, visible and coordinated participation of ACMAD at COP31 that positions climate information and early warning services, and the capacity of Africa's young scientists to use Artificial Intelligence (AI), at the heart of Africa's climate action.

The aim of the ACMAD team's participation is to share with stakeholders and partners ACMAD's experience in Early Warning, Early Action in Africa and climate services through key achievement. It’s also an opportunity to improve the visibility of the ClimSA Project at ACMAD through the organization of side events, participation in panels and interviews on various television channels.

COP31 will provide an opportunity to share with African climate negotiators and other stakeholders the results of the assessment of the current state of the African climate, its variability, change and related impacts.

The performance and robustness of response measures to reduce climate impacts will be presented through the animation of the four side events that the ACMAD Centre has already registered with the Organizers (UNFCCC). Furthermore, Director General will deliver the Statement at the High-Level Segment, highlighting African youth capacity to leverage AI and climate information to improve early warning.

Mission Outputs

• High-Level Segment statement delivered and published on ACMAD channels.
• Participation in different side events, each with a short summary report, photos and key messages.
• A log of bilateral meetings with agreed follow-up actions and partnership leads.
• Daily social media posts and at least two press releases (statement and side events).
• A consolidated mission report, submitted within two (2) weeks after COP31, with lessons learned and recommendations.
• Participate at high level segment, distribution of visibility materials and interviews will be deliver to different TV channels.
• Participation at Africa day and in other side events as panelist.