SESRIC participated in the second edition of the “Towards COP31: Local Climate Action Policy Dialogue,” held under the theme “Local Leadership, Inclusive Urban Resilience and Sustainable Transition” on 26 October 2026 in Gaziantep, Türkiye. The Dialogue was jointly organised by Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, the United Cities and Local Governments Middle East and West Asia Section (UCLG-MEWA), the World Academy for Local Governments and Democracy (WALD), the United Nations in Türkiye, and the COP31 High-Level Climate Champion.

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. As a regional hub for the Dialogue, Gaziantep placed particular emphasis on resilient cities, green industry, the circular economy, migration and human mobility, and inclusive transition. The event brought together mayors and local government leaders from surrounding provinces and cities in Türkiye, relevant public institutions, financial actors, academia, the private sector, and civil society, to exchange experiences, share practical solutions, and strengthen cooperation on local climate action.

The programme featured a session on Local Leadership and Multilevel Climate Governance for Climate Action, followed by a presentation on Türkiye’s Circular Food Systems and Gastronomy Cities Initiative and 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 discussions and a Joint Declaration on Local Climate Commitment. The outcomes of the Dialogue are expected to contribute to the broader COP31 Climate Action Agenda by strengthening the role of municipalities in climate action, improving coordination between national and local climate policies, and promoting the exchange and replication of successful local solutions. In line with Gaziantep’s regional focus on resilient cities, green industry, the circular economy, migration and human mobility, and inclusive transition, the Dialogue also highlighted the importance of inclusive, locally led approaches and stronger city-to-city, South-South and triangular cooperation to advance climate-resilient and sustainable development.

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