UAE and Senegal examine "The multilateral organizational session of the United Nations Water Conference 2026"
New York, March 4/ WAM/ The United Arab Emirates and Senegal, with the two countries participating in hosting the United Nations Water Conference 2026, held a organizational session yesterday in preparation for the conference with the participation of the international community at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
According to the decision of the “Methods of the Conference” in September 2024, this organizational session came as an opportunity for member states and concerned, to share their visions and recommendations on the topics raised for the six interactive dialogues that top the agenda of the 2026 conference, which will focus on addressing global water challenges, and enhancing progress to accelerate the implementation of the sixth goal of sustainable development goals: ensuring the availability of water and sanitation services for all and its management.
The organizational session was started, with high -level data delivered by His Excellency Abdullah Balala, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability in the UAE, and His Excellency Sheikh Tedian Day, Minister of Water and Sanitation in Senegal, where the two sides stressed their commitment to hold a comprehensive and comprehensive preparatory session, to draw a conference path that brings together the world together in 2026, and aims to enhance the progress of teamwork in the field of water.
His Excellency Abdullah Balla said: “The water for the UAE has formed its history, its present and future, and strengthened water flexibility, and the ability to innovate and creativity.”
His Excellency added: “We are committed to accelerating the innovative and comprehensive global work in the field of water, by increasing the exchange of knowledge and international cooperation, harnessing the power of huge investments, and expanding the scope of technological solutions for the benefit of all.”
His Excellency continued: “No country has immunity to the exacerbation of food insecurity, the deterioration in public health and economic and political stability caused by water stress. Ultimately, water is the main factor for achieving the agenda of sustainable development goals 2030, and the sixth goal is the way to achieve all 17 goals.”
For his part, His Excellency Sheikh Tedian Day highlighted that “the United Nations Water Conference 2026 embodies an important moment for humanity, a meeting of visions in our collective future, and a historical opportunity to convert our obligations into concrete procedures in the field of water and sanitation.”
His Excellency stressed: “The time is no longer appropriate to think or make recommendations, but to work, so we must ensure that this process is comprehensive and participatory, so that every voice and every perspective take into account.”
In a related context, the UAE and Senegal called on all those concerned in the international community, including governments, international organizations and actors in the fields of financing and investment, NGOs, civil society, academics, local communities, youth, and indigenous peoples, to raise their collective ambition to accelerate the global work of water.
Despite the progress made towards the sixth goal, and according to the latest statistics, 2.2 billion people still lack clean drinking water at the present time, while 3.5 billion people still lack safely managed sewage services, and also 4 billion people still suffer from a severe scarcity of water for at least one month per year.
Mr. Lee Gouhwa, Undersecretary of the Secretary -General for Economic and Social Affairs, and Mr. Alvaro Lario, Chairman of the United Nations Committee on Water Resources, in addition to 72 participants, joined the session, including 26 partners of the United Nations bodies, NGOs, civil society, and the private sector.
It is worth noting that the United Nations Economic and Social Affairs Department, as the General Secretariat of the conference, will work, after the organizational session, to prepare a note on the proposed issues, in consultation with member states and with the support of the United Nations Committee on Water Resources and other relevant United Nations.
These topics will be completed during a later meeting, held by the President of the General Assembly for one day on July 9, 2025.
After adopting topics and choosing the chiefs participating in interactive dialogues, a high -level preparatory meeting will be held in Dakar, before the start of the conference in December 2026.
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