UAE, Senegal launch 2026 UN Water Conference multilateral process

UAE and Senegal Launch Multilateral Process for 2026 UN Water Conference

New York [US], March 4: The United Arab Emirates and Senegal, as co-hosts of the 2026 UN Water Conference, have officially initiated the multilateral process for the global event by convening the Organisational Session on March 3, 2025, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The session gave Member States and important stakeholders a chance to share ideas and suggestions for the six interactive dialogue themes that would guide discussions at the 2026 Conference. It was required under the Conference modalities resolution passed in September 2024. The goal of these discussions is to address urgent global water issues and hasten the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which calls for universal access to clean water and sanitary facilities.

High-Level Opening Speeches
The session commenced with keynote addresses from Abdulla Ahmed Balalaa, UAE Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, and Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, Senegal’s Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation. In 2026, both presidents reaffirmed their countries’ shared commitment to promoting an inclusive, action-oriented conference that unites the world community to promote sustainable water management.

“For the UAE, water shapes our history, our present, and our future, fostering deep resilience, resourcefulness, and ingenuity,” Balalaa said, highlighting the country’s commitment to water security. Through more knowledge exchange, international collaboration, more funding, and the expansion of technical solutions for the good of all, we are dedicated to advancing creative and inclusive global water action.”

Echoing this sentiment, Dieye underscored the urgent need for concrete action:
“The 2026 UN Water Conference represents a historic opportunity to transform commitments into tangible outcomes for global water security and sanitation. We need to concentrate on execution now that the time for recommendations has come and gone. Participation and inclusivity are crucial to guaranteeing that all opinions and viewpoints are taken into consideration when determining our shared water destiny.

The 2030 Agenda’s Crucial Role of SDG 6
Senegal and the United Arab Emirates, co-hosts of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, stressed that water security is a key component of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda. SDG 6 and the advancement of global food security, public health, economic stability, and environmental sustainability all depend on addressing water issues.

Water scarcity remains a severe global issue, with 2.2 billion people lacking access to clean drinking water, 3.5 billion people without safely managed sanitation, and 4 billion people experiencing severe water shortages for at least one month per year. The UAE and Senegal called upon governments, international organizations, financial institutions, NGOs, civil society, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and the private sector to raise their collective ambition and work together to accelerate water-related solutions on a global scale.

Next Steps in the Preparatory Process
The Organisational Session brought together key UN officials, including Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), and Alvaro Lario, UN Water Chair, alongside 72 participants representing UN entities, NGOs, civil society, and the private sector.

As the Conference Secretariat, UN DESA will prepare a background paper detailing suggested subjects for the six interactive conversations after the session. On July 9, 2025, the President of the UN General Assembly will call a high-level meeting to finalize these themes.

To make sure all parties are on the same page in promoting significant worldwide water action, a high-level preparatory meeting will also be convened in Dakar, Senegal, prior to the December 2026 conference.