In August 2026, Uğur İbrahim Altay, Mayor of Konya Metropolitan Municipality and President of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) was appointed as Special Envoy for Local and Regional Governments for COP31. In this role, he will work to strengthen the voice of cities and regions in global climate action.
“Throughout the COP31 process, we have taken on the important responsibility of acting as a strong voice for cities. I would like to thank our esteemed Minister for appointing me as Special Envoy for Local and Regional Governments. I view this task as fully complementary to my role as UCLG President. Through the organized constituency, the LGMA and the Global Taskforce, we are voicing the recommendations of those that deliver public services for all. We want to ensure that structural dialogue is ensured between COPs,” said Mayor Altay.
The LGMA Constituency warmly welcomes the appointment. As the formally-recognized voice of local and subnational governments in the UNFCCC process, the Constituency looks forward to working closely with the Special Envoy in the lead-up to COP31 and on our shared priorities.
Mayor Altay has served as Mayor of Konya Metropolitan Municipality since 2018, with re-elections in 2019 and 2024, following two terms as Mayor of Selçuklu. He was elected President of UCLG for the 2026 to 2029 term at the organization’s World Congress in Tangier, Morocco, in June 2026, having previously held the presidency in 2023 and 2024. Altay also presides over the Union of Municipalities of the Turkic World and holds leadership roles in several other international municipal associations.
Konya, in Türkiye’s Central Anatolia region, is one of the country’s largest cities and the historic capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum. It is known internationally as the home of the poet Rumi and the Mevlevi tradition, and it sits at the center of Türkiye’s main agricultural plain, a semi-arid plateau where water availability is a defining local challenge.
Photo credit: uguribrahimaltay.com
