Preparations for 2026 UN Water Conference Accelerate with Adoption of Six Interactive Dialogue Themes

At a high-level preparatory meeting convened by the President of the United Nations General Assembly, MemberStates formally adopted, by consensus, the themes of the six interactive dialogues of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference (2026 UNWC), held in the United Arab Emirates in December next year.

The adoption marks a pivotal milestone in the lead-up to the 2026 UNWC, which aims to elevate the global water agenda and catalyze collective action and ambitions on water-related challenges. As the first UN conference focused on accelerating progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 (ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all), the 2026 UNWC presents a vital opportunity to drive meaningful, global action.

Since 2024, the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Senegal, as co-hosts of the 2026 Conference, have led a robust, inclusive consultation process involving Member States and various stakeholders, including international organizations, civil society organizations, NGOs, the private sector, and academia.

These efforts were anchored by the Organizational Session held on March 3rd 2025 at the UN Headquarters in New York, where initial inputs and proposals on dialogue themes were formally gathered, followed by a month-long online consultation process during which contributions and recommendations from all stakeholder groups were carefully reviewed and integrated into the development of the final themes for the interactive dialogues.

The six themes officially adopted for the interactive dialogues are:

• Water for People
• Water for Prosperity
  
• Water for Planet
• Water for Cooperation
• Water in Multilateral Processes
• Investments for Water

During a statement by His Excellency Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability said: "Water connects us all, and our actions must reflect that shared responsibility." His Excellency added, "This Conference is our moment to course-correct - to set the world on a pathway of accelerated, coordinated, and sustained water action. To demonstrate progress on clean water and access, we must leverage investments, innovation, and partnerships to secure a sustainable water future for all."
Following this milestone, the UAE and Senegal will begin the co-chairs selection process for each of the interactive dialogues. The selected co-chairs, working in close collaboration with the co-hosts and other stakeholders, will play a key role in shaping the thematic discussions and desired outcomes of the Conference. This selection process will conclude prior to the next major preparatory milestone scheduled to take place in Dakar, Senegal, in January 26-27, 2026.

The week in New York also featured a series of high-level meetings and engagements to advance the UAE's preparations and international collaboration in the lead-up to hosting the conference.

About the 2026 UN Water Conference
The 2026 UN Water Conference, co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal, will be held in the UAE in December next year. The Conference aims to accelerate action toward the achievement of SDG6 and mobilize global efforts to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. As of today, 2.2 billion lack access to clean drinking water and 3.5 billion lack acces to sanitation; making the 2026 UN Water Conference a timely convening for acccelerating global water action.