Transparency is a vital enabling tool for engaging key stakeholders and generating crucial data to help make informed decisions, design stronger climate policies over time, attract climate finance, and achieve broader sustainable development goals.
2026 represents a pivotal year for the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) under the Paris Agreement as it enters the second cycle of implementation. About two thirds of Parties have already submitted their first Biennial Transparency Reports (BTR), with BTR 2 due by the end of this year. Parties are also continuing to engage in the technical expert review (TER) and facilitative multilateral consideration of progress (FMCP) processes under the framework. At the same time, some countries are continuing their efforts to prepare and submit their first BTRs. Least developed countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), in the light of their special circumstances, may submit the BTR at their discretion.
The successful implementation of the ETF, with no Party left behind, will enrich the political and technical discussions under the second Global Stocktake (GST), which will commence at CMA 8 (November 2026), informing the process with higher quality and country ownership of the data and information. In this BTR submission year, it will be crucial to generate enhanced political momentum and continue creating platforms for countries to access technical and financial support.
Event description
Under the leadership of the COP 29, COP 30 and incoming COP 31 Presidencies, the high-level policy-oriented dialogue will be held at the Climate Week in Baku, Azerbaijan on 7 September 2026, jointly organized and supported by UN Climate Change through the #Together4Transparency initiative, UNEP, UNDP, FAO, the Baku Transparency Platform (BTP) and the government of Australia.
The high-level dialogue will serve as a stepping stone in the series of three high-level engagements throughout 2026 to enhance political momentum for transparency implementation and BTR submissions, which started with the high-level dialogue at SB 64 “Boosting the implementation of the Enhanced Transparency Framework: Sharing experiences and sustaining momentum for BTR submissions”, and will culminate with a ministerial event at COP31 that will celebrate progress and reinforce political commitment to the effective implementation of the ETF.
Objectives
The high-level policy dialogue aims to enhance political momentum for the implementation of the ETF, connect transparency of action and support with implementation, and provide space for support providers to outline the identified gaps and challenges in BTR reporting, as well as opportunities to assist developing countries.
Target audience
This is an open event for all participants at the Climate Week 4.
Indicative Agenda
Monday 7 September 2026
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Time
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Session
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Speakers
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14:00 – 14:30
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Opening remarks: Sustaining momentum for transparency under the Paris Agreement
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H.E. Mr. Yalchin Rafiyev, Deputy Foreign Minister and COP29 Chief Negotiator
H.E. Ms. Fatma Varank, Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of Türkiye and COP 31 Chief Climate Negotiator
Dr. Ana Toni, COP30 Chief Executive Officer
Mr. David Higgins, Deputy Executive Director, COP 31 Presidency of Negotiations
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14:30 – 15:30
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Connecting transparency with implementation
High-level setting-the-scene intervention
Panel discussion: the panel will present practical case studies on how ETF has informed policymaking and accelerated NDC implementation, as well as attracted and better channeled financial resources for climate action
Q&A / interactive discussion
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Diana Acconcia, Director for International Affairs and Climate Finance, Directorate-General for Climate Action of the European Commission, and Head of the European Commission delegation to the UNFCCC (online)
Moderator: Zeynep Bakir, UNDP
- Rolando Fernández Zamora, Costa Rica
- Irina Atamyradova, Turkmenistan
- Lea Kai, Lebanon
Participants
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15:30 – 16:30
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Addressing challenges faced in preparing BTRs
High-level setting-the-scene intervention
Panel discussion: After a scene-setting presentation from the CGE on their mapping of challenges faced by developing countries in collecting data, and preparing and submitting BTRs, support providers will discuss how they are supporting countries to address these gaps and challenges.
Q&A / interactive discussion
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Mr. Ruel Yamuna, Pacific COP31 Envoy for Access to Climate Finance
Moderator: Susan Legro, UNEP
- Steven Turnbull, CGE
- Saba Kalam, GEF (online)
- Zeynep Bakir, UNDP
- Zhuolun Chen, UNEP/CBIT-GSP
- Oleg Bulanyi, ICAT (online)
- Jose Manuel Ramírez García, FAO
Participants
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16:30 – 17:00
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Closing remarks
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Ms. Xuehong Wang, Director, Transparency Division, UN Climate Change
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| 17:00 – 17:30 |
Coffee break for participants |
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