SIWI at the 2026 UN Water Conference

Connecting global water commitments with national and regional action

The 2026 UN Water Conference brings governments and partners together to accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6, which calls for clean water and sanitation for all. Co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal, the conference will explore practical solutions through six interactive dialogues.

SIWI will bring experience in water governance and diplomacy to these discussions. Our work in Abu Dhabi will focus on how countries can coordinate planning and finance across environmental agreements, how they can manage the water that soils and vegetation depend on, and how regional experience can strengthen cooperation over shared waters. We will lead and contribute to side events during the conference and work with partners on three Flagship Initiatives linked to Interactive Dialogue C: Water for Planet.

Our engagements

All times are GST (UTC+4).

Water Across Generations: Fostering the Next Generation of Water Professionals

Tuesday 8 December | 13:45–15:00
SIWI role · Event partner

The session will explore how the water sector can help people entering the profession build their careers and contribute to decisions about water.

Water and Peace: Connecting Local Action to the Global Water Agenda

Tuesday 8 December | 17:15–18:30
SIWI role · Event partner

The session will bring together organizations working across water management, peacebuilding and humanitarian action to explore how local experience with water cooperation can inform the global water and peace agenda.

Responding to Global Water Bankruptcy Priorities for a New Water Agenda

Wednesday 9 December | 17:15–18:30
SIWI role · Speaker

The session will examine what happens when water use exceeds what rivers, aquifers and ecosystems can sustain, and which priorities should shape the global response.

Bridging Science and Policy: The UN Water Conference Academic Hub and the Future of Water Action

Thursday 10 December | 10:15–11:30
SIWI role · Event partner

The session will explore how the conference’s Academic Hub can connect researchers and policymakers so that evidence informs decisions on water and follow-up after Abu Dhabi.

Shared waters cooperation in Central Asia

Thursday 10 December | 12:00–13:15
SIWI role · Event partner in this Uzbekistan-led session

SIWI will draw on experience from the Stockholm Water Diplomacy Platform and regional dialogues to explore what countries can learn from each other about cooperation over shared waters. The discussion will also inform SIWI’s work with partners on a proposed voluntary global platform that would connect existing regional water diplomacy processes.

Water at the Heart of the Rio Conventions: From Global Commitments to Local Impact

Thursday 10 December | 13:45–15:00
SIWI role · Lead organizer

How can countries use water to connect their work on climate adaptation, biodiversity protection and land restoration? With all three Rio Conventions holding their conferences in 2026, this side event will take stock of how each has addressed water and where closer cooperation could help countries deliver on their commitments.

SIWI and its partners will announce a flagship initiative and present a roadmap for putting that cooperation into practice. The roadmap will focus on how countries can align national plans, combine funding for projects that serve several goals and track results across the three conventions. The session will also connect this work to the 2027 SDG Summit, where countries will review progress on sustainable development.

Green Water Flagship Initiative

Thursday 10 December | 13:45–15:00
SIWI role · Event partner

The session will bring together governments, researchers and other partners to explore how policy and investment can better account for green water. Within the initiative, SIWI will lead work on governance as part of the governance and finance workstream.

From Abu Dhabi to action in 2027

SIWI will continue working with partners on three Flagship Initiatives linked to Interactive Dialogue C, Water for Planet.

Green Water Flagship Initiative. Co-convened by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme, with Wageningen University & Research as a lead partner, the initiative brings together research institutions, public bodies and businesses. SIWI will lead a work package on governance, developing research and practical guidance on how to account for green water in decisions.

Water at the heart of the Rio Conventions. The UNECE Water Convention, the World Meteorological Organization and UNESCO lead this initiative through UN-Water. As a partner, SIWI has proposed work to help countries align national plans, combine finance for water, climate and nature, and improve coordination among the institutions responsible for delivering commitments under the three conventions.

Nature’s Infrastructure for Water. This UNEP-led programme will help countries use evidence on freshwater ecosystems to guide national planning and investment. SIWI is a partner in the programme, which aims to improve how freshwater ecosystems are understood, protected, restored and managed by 2035.