The Mediterranean Pavilion confirmed for UN Climate Conference COP31 in Antalya

Barcelona, 29 July 2026. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) will coordinate the Mediterranean Pavilion at the UN Climate Change Conference COP31, taking place in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026. The Pavilion will be located in the official Blue Zone, with one clear purpose: to bring a united Mediterranean voice to the global climate table at a moment when the region’s climate related challenges cut across every border in the basin.

Building on the success of previous editions, the Mediterranean Pavilion will continue to serve as a key platform for regional engagement. Coordinated by the UfM, the initiative is developed in partnership with a Coalition of Partner institutions from across the Mediterranean. For COP31, the UfM is pleased to welcome, the UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan Regional Activity Centre for Climate Change (UNEP-MAP/CC-RAC), based in Istanbul, as a key partner and main Turkish counterpart.

Water scarcity, extreme heat, sea level rise, biodiversity loss and food security do not stop at national frontiers, and neither can the response. The Pavilion brings Member States and partners from both shores into the same space to speak with one voice, set out shared priorities and show that regional cooperation is part of how the climate crisis gets answered. By joining forces with key regional players, the UfM aims to ensure the region’s climate challenges are present in global climate processes.

This will be its fifth edition since the launch at COP27, and the first time it opens on Mediterranean shores. The space will serve as a common home for Mediterranean stakeholders throughout the two weeks of negotiations, with panel discussions, policy dialogues and high-level sessions bringing together Member States representatives, international organisations, development banks, academia, civil society and youth.

The Mediterranean is one of the world’s fastest warming regions, heating around 20% faster than the global average. It is also a laboratory for solutions, from renewable energy deployment and adaptation practices to sustainable food systems and transboundary environmental cooperation. The Pavilion exists to make sure both sides of that story are visible inside the UNFCCC process.

A key priority for the COP31 edition is to offer a platform to Mediterranean countries without a national pavilion, ensuring their voice and visibility in Antalya. The Pavilion also works to bridge North South and East West cooperation across the region’s diverse shores, through joint initiatives and shared solutions.

In a nutshell, the Mediterranean Pavilion reflects the UfM’s mission to connect people, countries, and economies, while strengthening multilateral cooperation and advancing climate action in the region.