UAE, Senegal kick-off 2026 UN Water Conference multilateral process

The UAE and Senegal, co-hosts of the 2026 UN Water Conference, convened the international community for the Organisational Session of the Conference at the United Nations HQ in New York.

As mandated by the Conference modalities resolution adopted in September 2024, the Organisational Session served as an opportunity for Member States and stakeholders to share their insights and recommendations for the themes of the six interactive dialogues that will drive the 2026 Conference.

The dialogues will focus on addressing global water challenges and advancing progress to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6): Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

The Organisational Session opened with high-level speeches by UAE Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, Abdulla Ahmed Balalaa and , Senegal Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation, Cheikh Tidiane Dieye. The leaders emphasised the joint commitment by the UAE and Senegal in convening a collaborative and inclusive preparatory process to drive an impact-oriented Conference in 2026 that brings the world together to enable collective progress on water, for all.

Balalaa emphasised, “For the UAE, water shapes our history, our present, and our future, fostering deep resilience, resourcefulness, and ingenuity. We are committed to accelerating innovative and inclusive global water action, through expanded knowledge sharing and international cooperation, harnessing the power of increased investment, and scaling technological solutions for the benefit of all."

Dieye highlighted, “The 2026 UN Water Conference embodies a pivotal moment for humanity, a meeting with our collective future, and a historic opportunity to turn our commitments into concrete actions for water and sanitation. The time is no longer for reflection or recommendations, but for action. We must therefore ensure that this process is inclusive and participatory so that every voice and every perspective are taken into account."

"No nation is immune to the way that water stress can exacerbate food security, public health, and economic and political stability. Ultimately, water is the key enabler to achieving the entire 2030 Sustainable Development Goals Agenda, and SDG6 is the lynchpin to unlocking all 17 goals.”

The UAE and Senegal invited and called on all stakeholders across the international community - including governments, international organisations, financing and investment actors, NGOs, civil society, academics, local communities, youth and Indigenous Peoples – to raise their collective ambition to accelerate global water action, together.

Despite progress, according to the latest statistics, at present, 2.2 billion people still lack clean drinking water, 3.5 billion people still lack safely managed sanitation services, and four billion people still experience severe water scarcity for at least one month per year.

The session was joined by Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), and Alvaro Lario, UN Water Chair, along with 72 participants, including 26 stakeholders from UN entities, NGOs, civil society, and the private sector.