By Retno Marsudi, UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Water
4 June 2026 - As I travel across regions and speak with governments, communities, businesses and young people, I hear the same concern again and again: the world feels increasingly fragmented and uncertain. Climate shocks are intensifying. Economic pressures are growing. Trust in multilateral cooperation is under strain.
And yet, one issue still has the power to bring people together: water.
Water connects every aspect of our lives. It shapes our health, our food systems, our energy production, our cities, our economies, and our ecosystems. It also reveals, perhaps more clearly than any other issue, how interconnected our futures really are.
This is why I believe the 2026 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) comes at such an important moment.
This year, SDG 6 (ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all) will receive an in-depth review. But this conversation is about far more than water alone. It is about whether we can still deliver on sustainable development in a world facing overlapping crises.
Today, billions of people still lack access to safe drinking water or sanitation. Rivers, aquifers and ecosystems are under growing pressure. Floods and droughts are becoming more frequent and severe. At the same time, demand for water continues to rise across agriculture, energy, industry and cities.
But the challenge is not only about scarcity or infrastructure. In many places, the real issue is fragmentation.
Water is often managed separately from climate policies, food systems, urban planning, energy transitions or financial decision-making. Institutions work in silos. Investments remain short-term. Communities most affected are too often left out of decision-making.
The result is that we continue to respond to interconnected challenges in disconnected ways.
This is why the discussions at this year’s HLPF matter so much. They provide an opportunity not only to review progress, but also to rethink how we approach implementation itself.
We need to move from isolated interventions toward integrated solutions. We need stronger cooperation across sectors, across borders and across generations. And we need to focus relentlessly on implementation and results on the ground.
These same priorities are also shaping preparations for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, which will be co-hosted by Senegal and the United Arab Emirates.
Around the world, I see growing recognition that water can no longer remain a secondary issue in global discussions. Water is increasingly understood as a strategic enabler for climate resilience, food security, energy stability, public health, peace and economic development.
The upcoming Conference therefore cannot simply be another moment for declarations. Its success will ultimately be judged by whether it helps accelerate implementation where it matters most: in countries, communities and river basins facing real and immediate pressures.
In recent months, encouraging momentum has been building.
Governments, UN entities, scientists, civil society organizations, financial institutions and private sector actors are already engaging in preparations. Regional meetings and consultations are helping identify practical solutions and partnerships. There is also growing interest in how the Water Action Agenda can become a stronger platform for implementation, accountability and scaling successful initiatives.
What gives me hope is that many of these conversations are becoming more practical and action-oriented.
Increasingly, discussions are focusing on how to mobilize investment differently, how to strengthen governance, how to build institutional capacity, how to improve data and monitoring, and how to support countries in translating commitments into implementation.
I am also encouraged to see stronger recognition that water solutions must be inclusive. Women, young people, Indigenous Peoples, local communities and those living on the frontlines of climate impacts are not simply beneficiaries of water action, they are essential partners in shaping solutions.
Another important shift is the growing understanding that the private sector has a critical role to play, not only as a source of finance, but also as a partner in innovation, technology, infrastructure and long-term resilience.
But partnerships require clarity, trust and shared purpose. Public and private actors alike need clearer pathways for collaboration that support sustainable development outcomes while ensuring accountability and inclusion.
As we approach HLPF 2026 and continue preparations for the UN Water Conference, we therefore face a broader question:
Can water become an example of how multilateralism can still deliver tangible results in people’s daily lives?
I believe it can.
Because water is ultimately about people. It is about whether children can go to school healthy and safe. Whether farmers can sustain their livelihoods. Whether cities can remain resilient in a changing climate. Whether communities can live with dignity and stability.
Water reminds us that despite political divisions, geography or economic differences, we remain deeply connected.
And perhaps in today’s world, that reminder is more important than ever.
Learn more about the work of the Special Envoy on Water Ms. Marsudi here.