UN-Water Members review preparations for 2026 UN Water Conference
One hundred young people from 75 countries will gather in Abu Dhabi from 8 to 10 December 2026 for the United Nations Water Conference, following preparations reviewed at the 44th UN-Water Meeting in Rome.
Delegates Review Preparations in Rome
UN-Water Members and Partners convened from 1 to 2 October 2026 at the International Fund for Agricultural Development headquarters in Rome, Italy, to discuss preparations for the 2026 UN Water Conference. Participants examined proposed flagship initiatives for the event’s six interactive dialogues and reviewed efforts to accelerate the UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation.
UN-Water Chair Alvaro Lario opened the meeting by describing water as a super-connector among vital systems. He pointed out that the 2026 SDG 6 Synthesis Report shows both progress and ongoing challenges, including fragmentation, under-resourcing, and uneven results. Retno Marsudi, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water, outlined four tests for a successful conference: delivering action, placing water at the center of sustainable development, demonstrating that multilateralism delivers, and establishing a pathway for the future.
Co-Hosts and Envoys Shape the Agenda
Representatives from co-hosts Senegal and the United Arab Emirates stressed the need to focus heavily on implementation. The UAE highlighted work on a resolution to establish a regular UN Water Conference process, while Senegal called for stronger alignment among water, climate, biodiversity, and food agendas.
Meanwhile, the Arab Youth Center announced that 100 young leaders, selected from over 2,000 applicants across six global regions, will participate in a two-month virtual learning program through October and November 2026. These Global Youth Water Envoys will focus on tracks tied to the conference’s six interactive dialogues, culminating in six thematic youth statements and a consolidated Global Youth Water Statement.
Fatima Behzad Afghan of the UAE, President of the Dubai Municipality Youth Council, stated that attracting investment in water infrastructure requires clear frameworks that reduce risk and recognize long-term value. Lissong Diop of Senegal, a doctoral researcher, noted that scientific data and the traditional knowledge of pastoral communities can both inform water governance.
Dr Sultan bin Saif Al Neyadi, the UAE’s Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Vice Chairman of the Arab Youth Center, emphasized that the Envoys must attend the conference as informed contributors capable of turning experience into actionable proposals. Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, added that young people have long been left on the sidelines of water diplomacy, declaring that this exclusion ends now.
Dialogue Co-Chairs Propose Flagship Initiatives
Co-chairs for the conference’s six interactive dialogues presented targeted initiatives during the Rome sessions:
- Water and Multilateral Processes: Germany and Mexico advanced a “house for water” concept featuring regular conferences, political guidance, and stronger UN delivery.
- Water for Cooperation: Finland and Zambia highlighted a 100 Parties Initiative to encourage adherence to transboundary water conventions.
- Water for Prosperity: China and Spain focused on integrated management, circularity, and economic valuation of water.
- Water for People: Switzerland and Ghana outlined six workstreams addressing rights-based approaches, climate-resilient services, and data accountability.
- Investment for Water: France and South Africa proposed country platforms to coordinate investment, matchmaking, and de-risking facilities.
- Water for Planet: Egypt and Japan reported on initiatives connecting water, environment, and climate action across glaciers and oceans.
Future Milestones Beyond 2026
Participants situated the Abu Dhabi conference within a broader sequence of international milestones. The schedule includes the 11th World Water Forum in Saudi Arabia in March 2027, a high-level preparatory meeting in New York in 2027, and the 2028 UN Water Conference in Tajikistan. The 45th UN-Water Meeting is scheduled to be hosted by the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, from 3 to 4 May 2027.