Civil Society Inclusion in multilateral spaces

Australia’s role in COP31 is an important opportunity to show leadership in inclusive, effective, and rights-based climate governance. As President of Negotiations, Australia has both the responsibility and the influence to engage civil society in ways that build legitimacy, improve outcomes, and strengthen trust among diverse stakeholders.

Central to that is ensuring that women and gender-diverse people are meaningfully represented in leadership roles, provided equitable opportunities to be heard, and able to influence negotiations across a range of issues relevant to COP31 and the outcomes.

This paper outlines high-level principles of good practice for equitable civil society inclusion in multilateral spaces, with a particular focus on ensuring that women in all their diversity are meaningfully engaged and these principles are applied in the context of COP31.