COP28 UAE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Accessible features and facilities throughout the COP28 Blue and Green Zones include:

• Accessible toilets and changing facilities
• Accessible buggies
• Hearing loops
• Free manual wheelchair hire
• Motorized wheelchair charging stations
• Quiet and sensory rooms
• Nursing and feeding rooms
• Assistance dog relief areas
• Sunflower lanyards for people with non-visible disabilities
• Evacuation chairs

The COP28 website meets the international standards of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) under the criteria level AA.

Our staff and volunteers have received disability awareness training that was fully developed and delivered by people with lived experience and their connections. We have adopted a co-designing consultative process that was led and informed by people with disabilities from creating accessibility guidelines to constructing user experiences that take into account the role that gender, age, ability, and ethnicity play in shaping our human experience. Read more about our efforts in disability inclusion and accessibility in the UAE’s Vision of Inclusion page.

In the UAE, we use the term People of Determination and People with Disabilities interchangeably. Within the UAE, we believe that the term reflects the significant role that self-determination and resilience play in the lives of people with disabilities and their families while also exemplifying the UAE’s commitment and determination to a more inclusive and coherent society. The term serves as a paradigm shift to a value-based society that not only celebrates the diversity of the human experience, but also invests in people of all abilities seizing their full potential.

COP28 will be utilizing the Sunflower lanyard as an accessibility tool to recognize people with non-visible disabilities such as autism or hearing loss. Please note that the lanyard covers a wide range of disabilities and is optional to wear, should you choose not to disclose your disability.

If you are a speaker or a participant with specific accessibility requirements, please make sure to convey them to the event organizer or email us at accessiblity@cop28.com

The COP28 team received training on how to evacuate people with disabilities and use evacuation equipment such as evacuation chairs. If you are attending an event, please notify the event organizers that you need support in the unlikely event of an emergency.

The COP28 site is pet-friendly and assistance dogs will be welcomed at COP28. There are assistance dog relief areas throughout the site.

Yes, there is a dedicated security checkpoint for people with disabilities at COP28 in both Green and Blue Zones.

There are many catering options across the site, serving various dietary requirements, including gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and vegan.

At COP28 UAE, we understand that the carbon footprint of people with disabilities is often much higher than others and that many people with disabilities cannot reduce their waste and rely on single-use plastic to live. In our efforts to combat eco-ableism, we have provided biodegradable cups and solid plant single-use straws that are made from plant-based bioplastic. If you are a person with a disability and in need of such items, please feel free to ask for them and do not feel discouraged to use them if and when needed.

If you are a media professional with a disability, please convey that to the media team or please email us at accessiblity@cop28.com

If you have any further enquiries, please email us at accessiblity@cop28.com

The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international climate summit, which is held annually unless the Parties (the countries involved) decide otherwise. At COPs, world leaders gather to work together on solutions to tackle climate change. There are now 198 Parties (197 countries plus the European Union) to the Convention, constituting near universal membership.

COP28 UAE will take place from November 30 to December 12, 2023 at Expo City, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. 
The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are yearly conferences held in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  They serve as the formal meeting of the UNFCCC parties (Conference of the Parties, COP) to negotiate and agree action on how to tackle climate change, limit emissions and  halt global warming. The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are the world's highest decision-making body on climate issues and one of the largest international  meetings in the world. 
The host of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference, or Conference of the Parties (COP28) will be the UAE (United Arab Emirates). COP28 UAE will provide a  milestone opportunity for the world to come together, course correct, and drive progress to keep 1.5°C within reach—so we can meet the goals and ambitions of the Paris  Agreement. 
COP28 UAE will be a transformational moment for the world to unite around tangible climate action and deliver realistic solutions. Achieving this requires collaboration across  civil society, governments, industries, and sectors. 
The event includes two zones: 
1. The Blue Zone is a UNFCCC-managed site, open to accredited parties (country negotiators) and observer delegates (NGOs, IGOs, UN Agencies), media, and world leaders.  The Blue Zone hosts formal negotiations across the two weeks of the conference, and hundreds of official side events, including panel discussions, speaking events, and cultural events. 
2. The Green Zone is a space managed and delivered by the COP28 UAE Presidency. It offers a platform to non-accredited delegates, including youth groups, civil society, the  private sector, and indigenous groups to have their voices heard, promoting dialogue and awareness about climate action. 
The COP28 UAE Presidency believes that governments and the private sector must work closely together to address climate change. Through the Green Zone, the COP28 UAE  Presidency offers the private sector the opportunity to showcase their contributions and solutions to the global climate challenge. Their innovative approaches, climate action  technologies and entrepreneurship will constitute an important part of COP28 UAE. The Green Zone will also host technical conferences, panels, and activations with a focus on  existing and future solutions to climate change mitigation. 
Around each COP, a large number of “fringe” events are organized and held by individuals, businesses, and other organizations who have not been able to secure space to do so in  the Blue or Green Zones, or who decide to host in their own spaces. These are not official events and are not directly aligned with the COP.

The world is demanding a new way, and COP28 UAE will deliver it. Action Agenda is designed to move the world from Agreement to Action. Information on COP28's Action Agenda can be found in the COP28 President's Letter to Parties: : https://www.cop28.com/en/letter-to-parties

COP28 UAE will be one of the largest and most important international gatherings in 2023, followed closely around the world. As the world's highest decision-making process on climate issues, it is expected to host over 70,000 delegates, including heads of state and world leaders, to build consensus and facilitate progress on climate action among 197 countries, the EU, and thousands of non-government organizations, companies, youth groups, and other stakeholders.

COP28 is bringing together leaders from all walks of life to turn agreements into action. Understandably, there is a lot of passion and determination to advocate and provide input around the decision-making process. This year, civil society are able to take part in Voice for Action. Located in the Green Zone and accessible to all ticketholders, the Voice for Action Hub is the designated advocacy space that provides a platform to voice views, share opinions and amplify the voices of those pushing for solutions.

Groups and individuals are welcome to apply to host a debate, speech, demonstration or workshop on the Voice for Action website: https://voiceforaction.ae/. Guidelines for applications are overseen by the same UNFCCC rules that apply to the demonstration spaces in the Blue Zone. 

The UAE Government has authorized an electronic, free-of-charge Special Entry Permit for all UNFCCC-registered COP28 UAE event attendees, also known as the COP28 UAE Visa.
Once you have completed your UNFCCC registration, you will receive a confirmation email, which will include a link to apply for the COP28 UAE Visa.
Through the link, please visit the visa portal, fill out the form, upload the required documents and submit it for approval. Once approved, you will receive the visa confirmation email with a link to download your COP28 UAE Visa. All foreign participants entering the UAE must have a passport that is valid for a minimum period of six months from your date of entry into the UAE.

You will require: 
• Your UNFCCC Registration Code 
• Correctly filled visa application form on the visa portal 
• Clear colored copy of passport with minimum of six months validity from arrival into UAE (jpg/png/pdf; max 500kb) 
• Clear colored copy of UNLP (United Nations Laissez-Passer) (if applicable) (jpg/png/pdf; max 500kb) 
• Clear, recent, passport-size, colored photo against a white background.

You are not required to submit flight details. It is recommended that you only book your flight after you receive the COP28 UAE Visa.

Yes, accommodation details must be entered during the application process. If you are not yet able to provide these, you may input details of where you intend to stay. In addition, if the area you select is not listed, you may choose the closest to where you intend to stay.

You are not required to submit a travel medical insurance policy for the COP28 UAE Visa application. It is strongly recommended that you acquire travel medical insurance when travelling abroad.

It will take up to three business days to receive a status update.

Once you have successfully applied for the COP28 UAE Visa with the required documents, you will receive an application submission email with your application number. If you do not receive this, please visit the visa portal link in your UNFCCC registration email to track the status of your visa application.

Upon visa approval, you will be granted a free-of-charge, electronic COP28 UAE Visa that entitles you to a single entry into the UAE valid for 30 days upon arrival.

You are encouraged to apply for the COP28 UAE Visa as soon as you have received your UNFCCC registration confirmation email containing the visa application link.

Yes, the issued visa is valid for arrival at any international airport in the UAE.

We are in the process of designing airport journeys and will provide further details when finalized.

Yes, you are still required to apply for the COP28 UAE Visa, any visa duplications will be addressed.

If you are coming to the UAE to attend the Green Zone or other COP28 UAE fringe activity events and you are not a UNFCCC-registered delegate, you should apply for a standard visitor visa. More information and advice can be found at:Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security.

Depending on your nationality, tourist visas are available upon arrival as per UAE regulations. Please note, it is mandatory for all UNFCCC-registered participants to apply for the COP28 UAE Visa, prior to arrival, using the visa application link contained within the UNFCCC registration confirmation email. Please follow the COP28 UAE Visa application process as outlined above and apply well in advance of your journey to the UAE.

COP28 UAE Visa applications are only open to UNFCCC-registered participants. Please refer to the "I am attending the Green Zone" question above.