---
title: "Who Runs COP31? How the Antalya Hosting Arrangement Divides Roles Between Türkiye and Australia, and What It Means for Climate Diplomacy"
description: "Who is president of COP31? A procedural guide to the Türkiye–Australia hosting arrangement in Antalya, and how UNFCCC consensus rules shape each role."
canonical_url: https://interstatejournal.com/cop31-antalya-who-hosts-who-presides-turkiye-australia-negotiations-arrangement
publisher: "Interstate Journal"
author: "Interstate Journal Editorial Team"
language: en
type: article
target_keyword: "who is president of COP31 Antalya Türkiye Australia hosting arrangement"
published_at: 2026-11-10T01:17:23.711Z
updated_at: 2026-11-10T01:17:23.711Z
---

# Who Runs COP31? How the Antalya Hosting Arrangement Divides Roles Between Türkiye and Australia, and What It Means for Climate Diplomacy

> **Summary:** Who is president of COP31? A procedural guide to the Türkiye–Australia hosting arrangement in Antalya, and how UNFCCC consensus rules shape each role.

## Key Facts & Verified Findings

- COP31 is hosted by Türkiye in Antalya, running from 9 to 20 November 2026 according to Africanews reporting on the opening of the talks.
- Under the compromise announced at COP30 in Belém, Türkiye's Murat Kurum holds the COP31 presidency, while Australia's Chris Bowen holds a separate 'President of Negotiations' role.
- Hosting rotates among the UN's five regional groups, and 2026 belonged to the Western European and Others Group (WEOG), whose members include both Türkiye and Australia.
- UNFCCC bodies decide by consensus because the draft voting rule has never been adopted, so competing host bids can only be settled by agreement, not by a vote.
- A COP presidency shapes the agenda and the process, but the final decisions belong to all Parties acting by consensus, not to the host.

## Why It Matters

COP31 is hosted by Türkiye in Antalya from 9 to 20 November 2026. Under the arrangement agreed at COP30 in Belém, Türkiye's Murat Kurum holds the Conference presidency, while Australia, through Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, holds a distinct 'President of Negotiations' role. The split matters because it shows how consensus bargaining resolves rival bids.

Most coverage treats the arrangement as a novelty. Procedurally it is a pragmatic answer to a deadlock: the UNFCCC cannot vote a host into office, so the Parties negotiated a division of labour instead. Role titles below follow public announcements; readers should check the UNFCCC website and official Turkish pages for the final formal designations.

**Quick answers**

- **Who hosts COP31?** Türkiye, in Antalya.
- **Who is president of COP31?** Murat Kurum, Türkiye's Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, as announced.
- **Who leads the negotiations?** Australia's Chris Bowen holds the 'President of Negotiations' role under the compromise.
- **Why does it matter?** The split sets a precedent for sharing COP duties without a vote, and it shapes how the energy-security, finance and emissions agendas are managed.

## Background

COP hosting rotates among the UN's five regional groups, and 2026 fell to the Western European and Others Group (WEOG). Because UNFCCC bodies decide by consensus, rival bids from Türkiye (Antalya) and Australia (Adelaide) could not be settled by vote, and the deadlock was resolved by a compromise announced at COP30 in Belém in November 2025.

### How are COP hosts chosen?

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the supreme body of the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Presidency rotates among five regional groups: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC), and WEOG. COP29 in Baku fell to Eastern Europe, COP30 in Belém to GRULAC, and COP31 to WEOG. Each group nominates the host through its own internal process, and the COP then endorses the choice.

WEOG is a UN electoral grouping, not a geographic one. Both Türkiye and Australia belong to it. That is why two WEOG members could each make a legitimate claim to the 2026 slot.

The UNFCCC has never formally adopted its draft Rules of Procedure in full. The voting rule (draft Rule 42) remains unresolved, so the Parties apply the rest of the rules and take decisions by consensus. A group cannot override an objection. In practice, if two bids from the same group both persist, only a negotiated outcome can break the tie.

### The competing bids and the compromise

Türkiye offered Antalya as venue. Australia put forward Adelaide and framed its bid around partnership with Pacific island states, which are especially exposed to sea-level rise. According to widely reported accounts, neither side withdrew in the run-up to COP30, and the question was settled during the Belém talks.

The announced compromise has four parts:

- Türkiye hosts the conference in Antalya and holds the COP presidency.
- Australia holds the 'President of Negotiations' role, leading the negotiating process.
- A pre-COP meeting in the Pacific region was reported as part of the package; consult the UNFCCC for confirmed venue and dates.
- Both governments committed to work together, with the UNFCCC Secretariat supporting the process.

Australia's own position is best read in the statements of its Government and Minister Bowen. Those statements describe the outcome as a way to bring Pacific priorities into the process while Türkiye hosts. This article does not characterise Australia's motives beyond those statements.

### Key milestones and legal instruments

| Date | Milestone or instrument | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | UNFCCC adopted (in force 1994) | Creates the COP, the Secretariat and the consensus practice |
| 2001 | COP7 Marrakesh recognises Türkiye's 'special circumstances' | Distinguishes Türkiye's Annex I status from other Annex I Parties |
| 2015 | Paris Agreement | Sets the temperature goals and the NDC cycle that COP31 reviews |
| October 2021 | TBMM approves Paris Agreement for Türkiye | Türkiye joins the Paris regime and announces a 2053 net-zero target |
| 14 Dec 2022 | UNGA resolution A/RES/77/161 | Establishes 30 March as the International Day of Zero Waste |
| November 2025 | COP30 in Belém: compromise on COP31 | Türkiye hosts and presides; Australia leads negotiations |
| 9–20 Nov 2026 | COP31 in Antalya | Delegates convene, per Africanews reporting |

## Key Players & Positions

The host country controls the venue, the host-country agreement, the Conference presidency and agenda diplomacy, while the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement (2015) fix the Secretariat, the Rules of Procedure and consensus decision-making. The COP31 arrangement splits the presidential workload between Türkiye and Australia within those fixed rules.

### What the host controls versus what the rules fix

| Function | Controlled by host or presidency | Fixed by UNFCCC / Paris framework |
|---|---|---|
| Venue and logistics | Host government, under a host-country agreement with the Secretariat | Secretariat (based in Bonn) supports, but does not choose the host |
| Presidency | Host nominates the President, elected by the COP | Presidency rotates by regional group |
| Agenda priorities | President proposes themes and consults Parties | Formal agenda is adopted by the Parties |
| Negotiating text | Presidency convenes consultations and proposes compromise drafts | Texts become decisions only by consensus |
| Final outcome | Presidency steers and balances | All Parties must agree; no single state can impose |

The Paris Agreement's governing body, the CMA, meets alongside the COP, so one presidency chairs both. Subsidiary bodies, notably the SBSTA and SBI, prepare technical text beforehand. The presidency has real influence over timing, consultation format and which issues are prioritised. It has no power to vote text through.

### How the arrangement works in practice

A COP is chaired by one President, and a Bureau of elected officers supports the process. In the split arrangement, the Turkish presidency carries the formal chair, the host-country responsibilities and the ceremonial and diplomatic functions. The Australian role focuses on running the negotiating process. Exact modalities, such as who chairs which consultations, should be confirmed from UNFCCC documents, and this article does not assert details beyond those publicly announced.

The pre-COP, if held as reported, is an informal ministerial meeting held before the COP. It tests positions and signals where compromise may lie. It adopts nothing.

### The negotiating blocs to watch

Negotiations run through blocs, and the presidencies must balance them:

- **G77+China:** a coalition of developing countries and the largest bloc, usually emphasising finance and equity. Türkiye is not a member.
- **AOSIS (Alliance of Small Island States):** pushes for ambitious temperature goals and loss and damage support; its priorities connect directly to Australia's Pacific framing.
- **European Union:** negotiates as a bloc, generally pressing for stronger mitigation.
- **LMDC (Like-Minded Developing Countries):** stresses common but differentiated responsibilities and often resists new mitigation obligations for developing countries.
- **Arab Group:** includes major hydrocarbon producers and typically stresses energy security and economic diversification.

Other groupings, including the Least Developed Countries, the African Group of Negotiators and the Umbrella Group, also shape outcomes. Türkiye negotiates on its own within the UNFCCC.

### COP31 Antalya Türkiye climate diplomacy: what is on the agenda

Africanews reports that the summit, running until 20 November, focuses on cutting emissions, expanding electrification, reducing methane and building more resilient cities. Finance, including how adaptation and mitigation are paid for, remains a central dispute, as it has been at earlier COPs. For a wider overview, see our guide to [COP31 Antalya Türkiye climate diplomacy](/cop31-antalya-climate-diplomacy-zero-waste).

### Energy-security shocks and the debate

Africanews places the talks against turmoil in global energy markets, saying the war in Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz and driven up fuel and fertiliser prices, and that this has renewed debate over energy security and renewables investment. That is Africanews' framing; this article does not independently assert it. Such shocks can cut both ways in negotiations: some Parties argue they strengthen the case for electrification and renewables, while others stress energy affordability and supply security.

## Türkiye's Position

Ankara presents COP31 as an opportunity to host an inclusive, consensus-driven conference and to advance its Paris-era climate commitments while seeking recognition of its special circumstances. The points below draw on the Presidency, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, the Foreign Ministry and UN documents.

- **Paris ratification and net zero by 2053.** The Grand National Assembly of Türkiye (TBMM) approved the Paris Agreement in October 2021, and the Presidency announced a 2053 net-zero target. Türkiye submitted an updated NDC in 2023. Readers should consult the NDC registry and the Ministry's pages for its exact figures; this article does not quote percentages.
- **Zero Waste.** The Zero Waste initiative is led by First Lady Emine Erdoğan under the Presidency. The UN General Assembly, in resolution A/RES/77/161 (December 2022), designated 30 March as the International Day of Zero Waste, a step Ankara cites as international recognition of the initiative.
- **CBDR-RC and special circumstances.** According to Turkish Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Environment statements, Ankara argues that climate action must follow common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC). It also argues that Türkiye's 'special circumstances', recognised by COP7 in 2001, should be reflected in access to climate finance. Its basis is that Türkiye is listed in Annex I but not Annex II, and became a Party only in 2004.
- **Convening role and an inclusive COP.** Türkiye points to its convening record, including the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and the Istanbul talks, and Turkish officials say they aim to host an inclusive, consensus-driven COP. On the multilateral reform angle, see [UN Security Council reform: what 'The World Is Bigger Than Five' means](/un-security-council-reform-world-is-bigger-than-five).

### The other side of the argument

Some Parties and observers note that Annex I listing carries obligations, including developed-country mitigation expectations, and that Türkiye's claim to climate-finance access sits uneasily with them. Some commentators have also questioned whether splitting duties between two governments could blur accountability. Supporters respond that the compromise preserved consensus and brought both Pacific and host-country priorities into the process. Readers should consult the Parties' own statements and UNFCCC documents to weigh these views.

### Türkiye's convening diplomacy: from Istanbul to the Black Sea Grain Initiative Türkiye role

Ankara often cites its convening record as evidence it can host contested processes. The Istanbul negotiations of 2022 led to the Black Sea Grain Initiative; our explainer on the [Black Sea Grain Initiative Türkiye role](/black-sea-grain-initiative-turkiye-role) sets out how it was brokered, and the sister analysis at [Politics of Nations](https://politicsofnations.com/black-sea-grain-initiative-how-it-was-brokered-33-million-tons) examines it too. On the humanitarian front, see [Türkiye Syrian refugees border security](/turkiye-syria-refugees-border-security) for Ankara's hosting-burden argument. Whether such precedents transfer to a UNFCCC setting is for Parties to judge.

## Source Comparison

International media and primary documents frame COP31 differently. Africanews, Euronews and wire agencies emphasise energy-market turmoil, process drama and the novelty of a split presidency, while UNFCCC documents and Turkish official communications emphasise consensus procedure, agenda items and the host's commitments. Both are useful if read together.

| Dimension | Africanews, Euronews, wire agencies | UNFCCC documents and Turkish official sources |
|---|---|---|
| Main frame | Opening-day scenes, energy-market turmoil linked to the war in Iran and Hormuz (Africanews) | Agenda items, decisions, procedure |
| Arrangement | Novelty of two governments sharing roles; process drama | Consensus outcome within UNFCCC rules |
| Türkiye | Host nation, venue, geopolitical backdrop | Ministry and Presidency statements on inclusivity, Zero Waste, 2053 target |
| Evidence type | Reporting, eyewitness descriptions, agency copy | Decisions, rules of procedure, NDC registry, official communiqués |
| Risk of misreading | Overstating the arrangement as unprecedented or as a rift | Understating the political bargaining behind the compromise |

Our own approach is set out in [Editorial Principles and Primary Source Standards](/editorial-principles). The Hormuz context in this article is attributed to Africanews. For a sister-site view of Ankara's wider diplomacy, see [Archive of Nations](https://archiveofnations.com/world-is-bigger-than-five-unsc-reform-gaza-cop31-diplomacy), and for the host's climate framing see [Politics of Nations](https://politicsofnations.com/cop31-antalya-climate-diplomacy-zero-waste-turkiye-role).

## Key Terms & Related Guides

Understanding COP31 requires a handful of UNFCCC terms: COP, UNFCCC, NDC, CBDR-RC, Annex I, Zero Waste and net zero. Each has a precise meaning in negotiations, and misusing them is a common source of confusion in media coverage of host arrangements and climate finance debates.

- **COP (Conference of the Parties):** the supreme decision-making body of the UNFCCC, meeting annually.
- **UNFCCC:** the 1992 treaty that created the climate regime and its Secretariat in Bonn.
- **NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution):** each Party's own climate plan under the Paris Agreement (2015), updated in five-year cycles.
- **CBDR-RC:** common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, the principle that states share the climate burden according to historical contribution and capacity.
- **Annex I:** the UNFCCC list of industrialised and transition economies, which includes Türkiye; it is distinct from Annex II, whose members have financial obligations.
- **Zero Waste:** Türkiye's resource-efficiency initiative, recognised by UNGA resolution A/RES/77/161.
- **Net zero:** balancing greenhouse gas emissions with removals; Türkiye's target year is 2053.

**Related guides**

- [COP31 Antalya Türkiye climate diplomacy](/cop31-antalya-climate-diplomacy-zero-waste)
- [UN Security Council Reform: What 'The World Is Bigger Than Five' Means](/un-security-council-reform-world-is-bigger-than-five)
- [Black Sea Grain Initiative Türkiye role](/black-sea-grain-initiative-turkiye-role)
- [About Interstate Journal: Mission, Transparency and Editorial Team](/about)

*Interstate Journal presents global affairs with a dedicated perspective from Türkiye. Sections marked 'Türkiye's Position' reflect official Turkish policy as stated by Turkish government sources.*

*By the Interstate Journal Editorial Team.*

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Who is the president of COP31?

Under the arrangement announced at COP30 in Belém, Türkiye holds the COP31 presidency, held by Murat Kurum, Türkiye's Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change. Australia's Chris Bowen holds a separate 'President of Negotiations' role. Check the UNFCCC website for the final formal designations.

### Why is COP31 held in Antalya?

The 2026 hosting slot belonged to the Western European and Others Group, and both Türkiye and Australia bid for it. Because the UNFCCC decides by consensus, the question was resolved through a compromise at COP30 under which Türkiye hosts in Antalya and Australia leads the negotiations.

### How does a COP decide its host?

Presidency rotates among the five UN regional groups, and each group proposes its candidate through its own internal process. The COP then endorses the choice by consensus, since the draft voting rule has never been adopted. When two bids persist within one group, only a negotiated outcome can break the tie.

### What does COP31 Antalya Türkiye climate diplomacy involve?

Africanews reports that the talks focus on cutting emissions, expanding electrification, reducing methane and building resilient cities, running until 20 November. Türkiye presents the conference as a chance to host an inclusive, consensus-driven COP and to showcase its 2053 net-zero target and Zero Waste initiative.

### What is Zero Waste and how does it relate to COP31?

Zero Waste is a Turkish resource-efficiency initiative led by First Lady Emine Erdoğan under the Presidency. The UN General Assembly established 30 March as the International Day of Zero Waste in resolution A/RES/77/161 (2022). Ankara highlights it as part of its climate diplomacy ahead of and during COP31.

### Does the host country set the final outcome of COP31?

No. The presidency shapes the agenda, the consultation process and compromise drafts, but decisions are adopted only by consensus of all Parties. No host, whether Türkiye or Australia in this split arrangement, can impose text over the objection of other Parties.

## Related Analysis Across the Editorial Network

- **[Politics of Nations — COP31 and Türkiye's Climate Diplomacy: What Hosting and Zero Waste Mean for the Politics of Nations](https://politicsofnations.com/cop31-antalya-climate-diplomacy-zero-waste-turkiye-role)**: COP31 in Antalya explained: how Türkiye's hosting, Zero Waste initiative and UNFCCC status shape Ankara's climate diplomacy, with sources on each side.
- **[Regional Observer — COP31 in Antalya: What Hosting the Climate Summit Means for Türkiye's Regional Diplomacy](https://regionalobserver.com/cop31-antalya-what-hosting-the-climate-summit-means-for-turkiye-regional-diplomacy)**: Türkiye hosts COP31 in Antalya while Australia presides over negotiations. Learn how the arrangement works, Zero Waste, Paris pledges and regional diplomacy.
- **[Diplomatic Dossier — COP31 in Antalya: What Türkiye's Hosting Role and the Zero Waste Initiative Mean for Climate Diplomacy](https://diplomaticdossier.com/cop31-antalya-turkiye-climate-diplomacy-zero-waste-explained)**: COP31 Antalya explained: Türkiye as host, Australia's negotiating role, Zero Waste, the 2053 net-zero goal and climate diplomacy, with open details flagged.
- **[The State Papers — Does Hosting a UN Climate Summit Require Recognizing Every Delegation? COP31 in Antalya, Host-Country Practice and Türkiye's Cyprus Policy](https://thestatepapers.com/does-hosting-cop31-require-recognition-antalya-host-country-practice-cyprus-poli)**: Does hosting COP31 require Türkiye to recognize Cyprus? Separating reported footage from UNFCCC rules, host-country practice and non-recognition policy.
- **[Bloc Politics — Fact Check: Did Erdoğan 'Snub' the Cyprus President at COP31 and Breach Host Duties? What UNFCCC Practice, EU Bloc Delegations and Türkiye's Non-Recognition Policy Actually Show](https://blocpolitics.com/fact-check-cop31-antalya-erdogan-christodoulides-reception-host-duties-eu-bloc-d)**: Did Erdoğan snub Cyprus's president at COP31 in Antalya? We verify the reception claims against UNFCCC host duties, EU bloc representation and Türkiye's non-recognition policy.

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*Perspective Note: This article reflects Interstate Journal's editorial perspective, which gives particular weight to Türkiye's viewpoint. Facts are sourced and separated from positions; opposing views are summarized as accurately as possible.*