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COP UNFCCC

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The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) will take part in the 31st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31 UNFCCC), to be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November 2026, contributing to activities hosted at the Italian Pavilion, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE).

COP31 is a key opportunity to strengthen the implementation of international climate commitments and accelerate the shift from goals to concrete action. The Conference’s Action Agenda places particular emphasis on food security, resilient cities, the protection of seas and oceans, the reduction of waste and methane emissions, and the practical implementation of climate action, among other themes.

Against this backdrop, AICS will bring to Antalya experiences and initiatives from Italian Development Cooperation in partner countries, highlighting the contribution of development cooperation to climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable natural resource management, ecosystem protection, and the development of more resilient communities and territories.

The Agency’s participation will also showcase the work carried out by AICS offices abroad, connecting experiences from different geographical contexts and fostering dialogue among institutions, international organisations, the research community, the private sector and local stakeholders.

AICS side events at the Italian Pavilion

During the Conference, AICS will organise four side events at the Italian Pavilion.

These events will illustrate how cooperation can contribute to climate resilience across diverse contexts and territories: from a joint discussion among the AICS offices in Bogotá, Dakar, Hanoi and Tunis on territorial resilience, sustainable food systems and natural resource management, to experiences of integrated climate action in Ethiopia, sustainable forest management and nature-based solutions in the Western Balkans, and the blue economy and the resilience of marine and coastal ecosystems across the Mediterranean and the Western Indian Ocean.

Through these events, AICS will bring practical experiences from Italian Development Cooperation in partner countries to COP31, highlighting the role of its overseas offices and showing how approaches developed in different contexts can contribute to a shared goal: strengthening the capacity of communities and territories to address the impacts of climate change, combining resilience, natural resource protection, and sustainable and inclusive development.

Participation in COP31 forms part of AICS’s broader engagement with the Rio Conventions and the main multilateral processes addressing climate, biodiversity and the fight against desertification, strengthening the links between development cooperation and the international environmental agenda and contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.

Agenda

The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) attends the 29th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP29 UNFCCC) to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11th to 22nd. AICS is contribuiting to the “Italian Pavilion” alongside the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security (MASE), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP).

The Italian Pavilion will showcase a selection of cooperation projects and key actions in climate change mitigation, adaptation, and response efforts led by Italian Cooperation in Partner Countries, with a strong focus on Africa in the framework of the “Mattei Plan”. The pavilion will also host a series of side events organized with prominent national and international stakeholders.

«Our participation at COP29, alongside other key actors of the Italian System, aims at demonstrating the tangible contribution of Italian Cooperation to the sustainable development goals. In fact, the initiatives we support are classified according the so called “Rio markers”, inspired by the fight against climate change, desertification, and biodiversity conservation», AICS Director Marco Riccardo Rusconi explains. .

«The side events organized by AICS on November 13, 14, 15, and 21 will focus on significant aspects of our efforts on fighting climate change, as guided by the strategic priorities set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We will discuss the critical importance of water resources, as well as their management and protection. There will be also a focus on forecasting extreme weather events and reducing associated risks, one of the areas where Italy has a specific expertise»,Rusconi adds.

AICS events (available on MASE website page: Agenda Padiglione Italiano COP29) include:

In addition to COP29 in Baku, AICS attended  the recent Conference of the Parties on Biodiversity (COP16 CBD) in Cali, Colombia, held from October 21st to November 1st, and will also be present from December 2nd to-11th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the Conference of the Parties on Desertification (COP16 UNCCD), as part of the Italian delegation with MAECI and MASE-ISPRA. Furthermore, under MASE’s guidance, AICS contributed to the technical preparations for the 10th “Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention” (MOP10) of the UNECE Convention on Transboundary Waters and International Lakes, held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from October 23rd to 25th.

  

Last update: 05/11/2026, 15:38