COP26: Climate summit venue becomes UN territory

Glasgow's Scottish Events Campus (SEC) has officially been handed over to the United Nations for the historic COP26 summit.

The venue now makes up the Blue Zone, and becomes official UN territory for the duration of the global conference.

The area will be patrolled by armed UN officers and will be under the highest levels of security.

The UN confirmed the SEC was handed over to it on Friday afternoon ahead of the summit opening on Sunday.

World leaders and delegates will gather in Glasgow from 31 October until 12 November in a bid to hammer out a deal to tackle climate change.

Most countries will be represented, with about 25,000 accredited delegates expected for the UN Conference of Parties (COP) summit, which will attract the attention of the world and activists from around the globe.

The event will take place across two sites - the Blue Zone at the Scottish Event Campus and the Green Zone at Glasgow Science Centre.

The Blue Zone will host the main negotiations between world leaders and climate change specialists and is therefore subject to the strictest restrictions.

Organisations sending delegates to the conference to observe and take part had to apply more than a year ago to navigate tight security requirements.

Police Scotland will only be allowed to enter the site if they are invited to do so by the UN secretary general, or if they believe there is a threat to life.

The area will remain under the jurisdiction of Scots Law if any crimes are committed there.

UN officials, representatives and experts all have diplomatic immunity which means they are exempt from legal process - inside the blue zone.

The Green Zone is located on the south of the river with the Science Centre at the heart, hosting a programme of ticketed events.

The plan there is to spotlight the dynamic, exciting and inspiring strides being made in climate action across the world.

With just two days to go until the world's eyes fall on Glasgow, activity is already building in the city.

Climate change activists Ocean Rebellion staged one of the first demonstrations on the banks of the River Clyde with three "vomiting oil heads" to highlight environmental threats to the oceans.

Extinction Rebellion started a fortnight of protest action off with a demonstration at the University of Glasgow.

Four activists locked themselves to the memorial gate to demand that the university urgently implements the campaign group's Green New Deal - a list of 60 demands they say would end the establishment's "ecologically destructive practices".

The area around the SEC will be protected by about 10,000 police officers every day.

Police Scotland are in charge of the operation and make up about 45% of the numbers, with officers drafted in from across the UK to make up the rest of the police contingent.

As well as police from around the UK, there will also be British Transport Police, MoD police and representatives of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.

In addition, police divers will be part of security unit on the River Clyde during the conference.

Ministry of Defence police will also provide a "24/7 armed policing presence" on the river, which runs close to the venue and through the centre of the city.