At the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) to the Barcelona Convention, held in Cairo, the Cairo Declaration was adopted and the mandate of the Regional Climate Change Activity Centre (CC/RAC), to be established in Istanbul, was finalized. The Centre is planned to become operational in 2026. Türkiye was also re-elected as a full member of the Compliance Committee.
Türkiye was represented by Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Fatma Varank. The sessions also included Mitja Bricelj for Slovenia, Egypt’s Minister of Local Development and Acting Minister of Environment Manal Awad Mikhail, and UNEP officials Alberto Pacheco Capella and Tatjana Hema. Throughout the conference, Deputy Minister Varank held several bilateral meetings focusing on climate adaptation, the Zero Waste approach, and preparations for COP31.
Türkiye Consolidates Its Role as a Key Actor in Mediterranean Climate Diplomacy
The decisions taken at COP24 further strengthened Türkiye’s position as a leading and agenda-setting country in Mediterranean climate diplomacy, alongside its COP31 presidency and host role. Under the Centre’s work programme, the CAMP İzmir Coastal Zone Management Project will develop a model for climate adaptation, coastal risk management and blue-economy-oriented sustainable development along the İzmir coastline.
The Cairo Declaration adopted at the meeting set ambitious goals, including protecting at least 30 percent of Mediterranean marine and coastal areas by 2030 and accelerating sustainable blue-economy practices. Within the same programme, the Istanbul Environmental Friendly City Award was granted to Almeria, Spain, while the metropolitan municipalities of Balıkesir and Antalya received second and third place.
