SESRIC participated in the “Towards COP31: Local Climate Action Policy Dialogue,” held under the theme “Local Leadership, Inclusive Urban Resilience and Sustainable Transition” on 29–30 September 2026 in Muğla, Türkiye, on the margins of the Mediterranean Climate Summit. The Dialogue was jointly organised by the Muğla Metropolitan Municipality, the United Nations in Türkiye, the Private Office of the COP31 High-Level Climate Champion, the World Academy for Local Governments and Democracy (WALD), and the United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia Section (UCLG-MEWA).

The Dialogue aimed to strengthen local climate leadership and accelerate the translation of national and global climate commitments into resilient, inclusive, and measurable local action, while bringing the priorities, solutions, and investment needs of Türkiye’s municipalities to COP31. The event brought together mayors and local government leaders, national authorities, international organisations, development partners, financial institutions, civil society, academia, and other stakeholders from Türkiye, OIC countries and beyond to exchange experiences, identify practical solutions, and strengthen cooperation on accelerating locally led climate action in Türkiye and the wider Mediterranean region.

The programme featured a session on Local Leadership and Multilevel Climate Governance for Climate Action, followed by thematic roundtable discussions on five key areas: Urban Resilience and Climate-Responsive Development; Localising Climate Finance; Just and Inclusive Transition; Water, Food, Nature and Circularity; and Innovation, Technology and Data. Mr. Muzamil EDEMA, Researcher at the Economic and Social Research Department, represented SESRIC at the event and contributed to the Technical Roundtable on “Just and Inclusive Transition.” He emphasised the importance of meaningfully including vulnerable groups in climate action and highlighted SESRIC’s three core mandates in statistics, research, and training and capacity-building programmes based on South-South and triangular cooperation to facilitate knowledge exchange, share technical expertise and best practices, and promote skills development for inclusive and sustainable development among OIC countries.

The programme concluded with a general assessment of the thematic sessions and a Joint Declaration on Local Climate Commitment. The outcomes of the Dialogue are expected to contribute to the broader COP31 Climate Action Agenda, highlighting the perspectives and priorities of local governments in advancing climate action and strengthening cooperation at the local, national, and international levels.

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