13 March 2025 - The air was charged with a sense of purpose at UN Headquarters in New York, as Member States, UN entities, and stakeholders took their seats in the ECOSOC Chamber for the 2026 UN Water Conference Organizational Session, while hundreds followed the discussions via UN Web TV, ready to shape the future of global water action.
The world confronts a defining challenge with an estimated 1.42 billion people – including 450 million children – living in areas of high or extremely high water vulnerability. The organizational session was a pivotal step towards collective action, laying the groundwork for the 2026 UN Water Conference, which will be held from 2 to 4 December 2026 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The co-hosts of the Conference, Senegal and UAE, chaired the meeting.
During the opening session, H.E. Mr. Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability of the UAE highlighted that water has been undervalued, underfunded, and underprioritized, stating that, “2.2 billion people still lack access to clean drinking water. 3.5 billion people still lack safe sanitation. And 4 billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year.”
The organizational session heard a diverse range of calls for action, from resilient infrastructure to investments in technology driving innovation. A strong emphasis was also placed on the need for sustainable financing mechanisms to support long-term solutions, which aim to achieve equitable access to resources and foster economic and environmental resilience.
These calls transcended traditional approaches, a shift encouraged by the Under-Secretary-General of UN DESA and Conference Secretary-General, Mr. Li Junhua, who stressed that, “Water flows through the entire sustainable development landscape. From human wellbeing, gender equality, sustainable livelihoods, to biodiversity conservation, and climate action - SDG 6 implementation is fundamental.”
The appointment of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water, Ms. Retno L. P. Marsudi, was highlighted as one of the most significant results of the 2023 UN Water Conference.
Ms. Marsudi reminded participants that water is not a sectoral issue – it shapes economies, societies and ecosystems. Yet, its scarcity is felt most by those who are often unheard. “The Conference must aim to resolve the challenges faced by women, children, persons with disabilities, people living in rural areas, and others – who have limited access to clean and safe water […] and are affected by water-related challenges,” Ms. Marsudi said.
Member States, UN entities and representatives from non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders also contributed their ideas for the themes of the interactive dialogues that will be held during the Conference. To complement these discussions, UN DESA launched a global online stakeholder consultation collecting additional inputs on the themes of the interactive dialogues here.
As discussions ended, the commitment towards concrete solutions that can ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all was clear. The road to 2026 is not just about preparation – it is about action, implementation and delivering real impact for those who need it most.
“As a result, the UN Water Conference of 2026 is a pivotal moment when we can turn our words into deeds, our commitment into outcomes and our challenges into opportunities,” urged H.E. Dr. Cheikh Tidiane Dieye Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation of Senegal.