The Conference of the Parties (COP) refers to the supreme decision-making body of an international treaty. Specifically, it is most commonly associated with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). COP conferences are annual meetings where countries that have signed the treaty come together to assess progress in addressing climate change, negotiate new commitments, and update strategies to mitigate climate impacts.
Each COP is numbered sequentially (e.g., COP21 in Paris in 2015, COP26 in Glasgow in 2021). The key aim of these conferences is to bring nations together to advance global climate goals, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate impacts.
While most frequently linked to climate, the term “COP” can also apply to other multilateral environmental agreements, but the UNFCCC COP is the most prominent one.