Monday, 9 November 2026

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS

WHO Director-General at the COP31 opening day

As the 31^st United Nations annual climate conference (COP31) opened in Antalya, Türkiye today, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, attended the Ministerial Roundtable, COP31 Health Day, United Nations Climate Change Conference.  In his remarks, Dr Tedros urged countries to, among others, implement the Belém Health Action Plan, and join, renew and report their commitments through the WHO Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health.

At the High-Level Roundtable on Advancing Health in the Global Climate Agenda, Baku COP Presidencies Coalition for Climate and Health, WHO Director-General highlighted the priorities for the Baku COP Presidencies Coalition for Climate and Health, as it carries political leadership from one COP to the next.

Dr Tedros also delivered remarks at the press conference by Türkiye, President of COP31, titled: COP31 Health Day and the Launch of the Antalya Initiative for Health Resilience (AIR), in which he outlined the moot urgent priorities: 1) health systems must be ready before the shock arrives; 2) countries must move from plans to implementation; and 3) we must finance what works.

Also see:

• WHO at COP31: Health Day opens two weeks of activities to deliver on climate change and health
• Health at COP31

Media contacts:

mediainquiries@who.int

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