Club de Madrid brings democratic leadership and environmental defenders’ voices to COP31 in Antalya
Club de Madrid will take part in the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, with a focus on strengthening the connection between democracy, human rights and climate action.
Through two events on 11 and 14 November, Club de Madrid Members Carlos Alvarado, former President of Costa Rica (2018–2022), and Mehdi Jomaa, former Prime Minister of Tunisia (2014–2015), will contribute their political leadership and experience to discussions on the protection and meaningful participation of environmental human rights defenders.
The organisation’s participation reflects a central principle of its work: effective and legitimate climate action requires democratic governance, accountable institutions and the inclusion of those most directly affected by environmental decisions.
11 November | Recognising and protecting environmental human rights defenders
On Wednesday, 11 November, Club de Madrid Member Carlos Alvarado will deliver the closing remarks at the UNFCCC side event “Closing the Gap: A Call for Recognition, Participation, and Protection of Environmental Human Rights Defenders in Climate Action.”
Organised by the Leaders Network for Environmental Activists and Defenders (LEAD), in collaboration with a broad coalition of civil society and human rights organisations, the event will bring together environmental defenders, representatives of Indigenous communities, government representatives and UN Special Rapporteurs.
Discussions will address the threats, criminalisation and violence faced by environmental defenders around the world, as well as the barriers that prevent them from participating effectively in climate governance.
The event will also explore concrete ways to recognise their contributions, strengthen protection mechanisms and ensure their voices are meaningfully included in UNFCCC processes.
Event details:
- Date: Wednesday, 11 November 2026
- Time: 13:15–14:45
- Venue: Blue Zone, Side Event Room 9 – Safranbolu
- Languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish and French, with simultaneous interpretation
14 November | Environmental Democracy in Action: The Role of Environmental Defenders in Climate Governance
On Saturday, 14 November, Club de Madrid will organise a high-level panel at the Spain Pavilion, featuring its Member Mehdi Jomaa, former Prime Minister of Tunisia.
The event, “Environmental Democracy in Action: The Role of Environmental Defenders in Climate Governance,” will examine how governments, international organisations and civil society can move beyond traditional protection frameworks towards a more comprehensive approach that combines human rights, democratic participation and institutional accountability.
Building on the outcomes of the regional meeting “Voices, Leadership and Protection,” held in La Antigua Guatemala in collaboration with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the discussion will address the challenges faced by environmental defenders, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean.
A central focus will be the growing criminalisation of environmental defenders, including judicial harassment, intimidation and stigmatisation, and the need for institutional responses that protect both their physical safety and their fundamental freedoms.
The panel will also explore how environmental defenders, Indigenous peoples and local communities can participate meaningfully in decisions concerning climate action, the energy transition and natural resource governance.
Mehdi Jomaa will bring a political leadership perspective to the discussion, highlighting the responsibility of governments to protect civic space, uphold the rule of law and ensure that participation translates into genuine influence over public decisions.
The conversation will bring together:
- Mehdi Jomaa, Club de Madrid Member and former Prime Minister of Tunisia
- María Pedro de Pedro, environmental human rights defender from the Q’anjob’al community, Guatemala
- Carlos de Miguel, Director of the Sustainable Development and Human Settlements Division at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
- Ángel Pérez Contreras, Spanish Youth Council
The discussion will be moderated by Natalia Gómez, international consultant on environment and human rights and civil society representative during the negotiations of the Escazú Agreement.
Event details:
- Date: Saturday, 14 November 2026
- Time: 14:30–15:30
- Venue: Spain Pavilion, COP31, Antalya
Advancing democratic and inclusive climate governance
Club de Madrid’s participation in COP31 will reinforce the importance of placing democratic governance and human rights at the centre of international climate action.
Environmental defenders are not only individuals whose rights must be protected. They are essential democratic actors who contribute to public accountability, represent affected communities and help ensure that environmental policies respond to the needs of people and territories.
Through the participation of Carlos Alvarado and Mehdi Jomaa, Club de Madrid will seek to strengthen political attention to these challenges and encourage commitments that translate recognition into effective protection, meaningful participation and institutional accountability.
The discussions will also contribute to advancing recommendations for COP31 and the road towards COP32, reaffirming the need for climate governance that is inclusive, rights-based and grounded in democratic principles.
