BLIA Meets with Environmental Organizations at COP31, Prepares for Side Event and Exhibition

By Pu Da and Rong Feng | Antalya, Türkiye

On November 10, the second day of the 31st Conference of the Parties to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31), Kwong Djee Chan, Vice Committee Director of BLIA World Headquarters Lay Dharma Lecturer/Teacher Fellowship Committee, and Ailun Wei, Deputy Director of BLIA United Nations Affairs Committee, represented Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) in meetings with the Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (ENGO) constituency and other exhibiting organizations in the conference’s Blue Zone. Through these exchanges, the delegation gained insights into international climate advocacy and conference operations while preparing for its upcoming side event and exhibition booth.

The delegation met with representatives of the ENGO constituency, one of the nine recognized observer constituencies under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They held discussions with Rachitaa Gupta, Global Coordinator of the Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice, covering the constituency’s organizational structure, governance mechanisms, membership, and recent initiatives. The ENGO constituency has long focused on climate justice and civil society participation in climate action. Through the meeting, the delegation gained a deeper understanding of how international non-governmental organizations engage in climate negotiations and collaborate through global networks, opening up opportunities for future international exchanges and partnerships.

The delegation also exchanged views with side event evaluation staff and representatives of other exhibiting organizations to better understand the evaluation criteria for side event presentations, exhibition booth requirements, and related operational procedures. These discussions helped BLIA prepare for its side event scheduled for November 14 and its exhibition booth from November 16 to 19.

Ailun Wei said that the visits and exchanges provided him with a comprehensive understanding of side event presentation, exhibition arrangement, and Blue Zone operation procedures in preparation for upcoming activities and allowed him to further accumulate international participation experience to expand BLIA’s engagement on global climate issues.