diff --git a/CHANGELOG.mdx b/CHANGELOG.mdx
index 60752d9d683d..b3411889c069 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.mdx
+++ b/CHANGELOG.mdx
@@ -16,6 +16,17 @@ https://github.com/RasaHQ/rasa/tree/main/changelog/ . -->
 
 <!-- TOWNCRIER -->
 
+## [3.6.16] - 2024-01-19
+                        
+Rasa 3.6.16 (2024-01-19)                         
+### Bugfixes
+- [#12983](https://github.com/rasahq/rasa/issues/12983): Upgrade Cryptography to fix improper certificate validation.
+- [#12998](https://github.com/rasahq/rasa/issues/12998): Fixes a bug that caused the `full_retrieval_intent_name` key to be missing in the published event. Rasa Analytics makes use of this key to get the Retrieval Intent Name
+
+### Miscellaneous internal changes
+- [#712](https://github.com/rasahq/rasa/issues/712)
+
+
 ## [3.6.15] - 2023-11-30
 
 Rasa 3.6.15 (2023-11-30)
diff --git a/changelog/12983.bugfix.md b/changelog/12983.bugfix.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 5de8934cfe59..000000000000
--- a/changelog/12983.bugfix.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Upgrade Cryptography to fix improper certificate validation.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/changelog/12998.bugfix.md b/changelog/12998.bugfix.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 63280d49c42d..000000000000
--- a/changelog/12998.bugfix.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Fixes a bug that caused the `full_retrieval_intent_name` key to be missing in the published event. Rasa Analytics makes use of this key to get the Retrieval Intent Name
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/changelog/712.misc.md b/changelog/712.misc.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 020a19afe7f1..000000000000
--- a/changelog/712.misc.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Prevent race condition in poetry build to fix dependency install failures on windows.
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index bd34f9e7ec4b..7b695117b412 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ exclude = "((.eggs | .git | .pytest_cache | build | dist))"
 
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "rasa"
-version = "3.6.15"
+version = "3.6.16"
 description = "Open source machine learning framework to automate text- and voice-based conversations: NLU, dialogue management, connect to Slack, Facebook, and more - Create chatbots and voice assistants"
 authors = [ "Rasa Technologies GmbH <hi@rasa.com>",]
 maintainers = [ "Tom Bocklisch <tom@rasa.com>",]
diff --git a/rasa/version.py b/rasa/version.py
index 3d8e9f0ee007..fc234e58601b 100644
--- a/rasa/version.py
+++ b/rasa/version.py
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 # this file will automatically be changed,
 # do not add anything but the version number here!
-__version__ = "3.6.15"
+__version__ = "3.6.16"