Our Founder and CEO, Joseph Turay, has been selected by UNDP Egypt and The British University in Egypt as one of the 150 young delegates to participate in the 2026 COP31 Simulation Conference in Cairo, Egypt, taking place from September 24 to October 1. He was chosen after completing the capacity-building phase of the program, where he submitted a research policy paper and gave a virtual presentation on informal settlements upgrading.
The COP31 Simulation program is an initiative by UNDP Egypt and The British University that supports young students and changemakers in building skills in climate literacy, international diplomacy, evidence-based research, and negotiation ahead of the COP31 Conference in Antalya, Turkey.
In his policy paper, Joseph proposed three policies for informal settlements’ resilience to climate change. First, integrated in-situ climate resilience upgrading for slums where climate risks are manageable; second, basic infrastructure upgrade for communities where climate change is manageable if supported with such a mechanism; third, relocation for informal settlements where managing climate risks is almost impossible.
The paper was inspired by our CEO’s childhood experiences growing up in Kroo Bay, Cockle Bay, and Thompson Bay slums in Freetown City, where he was vulnerable to climate risks, including losing his home and dropping out of school.
Joseph encouraged negotiators to look into his proposed policies and incorporate them into the National Adaptation Plans during the upcoming COP31 Conference in Turkey. We wish our Founder the best experience on his trip to Cairo.