President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has departed for Antalya, Türkiye, to attend the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31).
The summit runs from 10 to 14 November 2026. According to the President's Office, Muizzu will deliver the Maldives' national statement, participate in high-level events and discussions, and hold bilateral meetings with other leaders.
First Lady Sajidha Mohamed and a high-level delegation are accompanying the President.
COP31 brings together world leaders and negotiators from parties to the UNFCCC. The conference also includes business leaders, young people, climate scientists, Indigenous peoples and civil society organisations.
Türkiye is hosting the summit under the presidency of its Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum. Australian Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen is serving as president of the negotiations.
For the Maldives, a low-lying island nation, the conference is significant. The country faces rising sea levels, coral bleaching and economic pressures linked to higher energy costs and fluctuating tourism.
The Maldivian delegation is expected to push for debt-free climate finance delivered as grant aid, a formalised mechanism for loss and damage support, and concrete measures for coastal protection.
These priorities align with the Maldives' Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), which treats coastal protection as a central pillar of national development planning.
The President's departure comes as the government has also signed a new partnership with the Maldivian Red Crescent to strengthen community disaster preparedness and early warning systems.
COP31 is the latest in a series of international climate meetings at which the Maldives has sought greater support for adaptation and loss and damage financing. The outcome of the Antalya talks will be closely watched in Malé.
