COP31 opens in Antalya with separate convention and treaty sessions

The 31st United Nations climate conference opened on 9 November 2026 at the Antalya Expo Center in Türkiye. It is scheduled to continue through 20 November 2026. The opening programme included meetings under the climate convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Türkiye’s Murat Kurum served as COP31 president, and Australia’s Chris Bowen led the negotiations as president of COP31 negotiations. The two roles should be kept separate when recalling who chaired the conference and who led the negotiations.

The opening programme brought three meeting labels into use at the same venue. COP31 refers to the 31st session under the climate convention. CMP21 is the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of parties to the Kyoto Protocol. CMA8 is the eighth session of the equivalent body for the Paris Agreement. The numbering follows each instrument’s own meeting series, so all three numbers can apply to the same conference without describing three separate editions of the convention meeting.

Facts to remember

• Host: Antalya, Türkiye; conference dates: 9 November 2026 to 20 November 2026.
• Murat Kurum is the COP31 president; Chris Bowen is president of COP31 negotiations.
• COP31 is the convention meeting, CMP21 is the Kyoto Protocol meeting, and CMA8 is the Paris Agreement meeting.
• The Antalya Leaders’ Summit is scheduled for 11 November 2026 and 12 November 2026.

Background

The climate convention, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement are separate legal instruments. Article 7 of the convention establishes its Conference of the Parties. Article 13 of the Kyoto Protocol and Article 16 of the Paris Agreement provide for the convention’s conference to serve as the meeting of parties to each respective instrument.

Why it matters for exams

For CLAT and UGC-NET Law environmental law, match each meeting abbreviation to its treaty and distinguish the conference presidency from the role leading negotiations.