Statement by OAS Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin on World Water Day 2026

Press Release

Statement by OAS Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin on
World Water Day 2026

Water is not only essential for life - it also serves as a catalyst and fundamental condition for equity, opportunity, and stability. Through our work across the Americas, we have observed this firsthand. We see the positive effects of promoting integrated and inclusive water management in communities across the Americas in collaboration with our Member States. Access to clean water is crucial for achieving basic economic development and is deeply connected to democracy, human rights, and security.

However, in our region, many water challenges remain largely unresolved. Over 160 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean still do not have access to safe drinking water, and approximately 430 million lack adequate sanitation services - this is more intensely felt in rural areas, Indigenous territories, and vulnerable populations. Women and girls are disproportionately impacted by water insecurity. In many communities across the Americas, they bear responsibility for collecting water, often spending hours each day on this task-time that could otherwise be used for education, economic activities, or leadership. Limited access to water and sanitation also affects women's health, safety, and dignity.

For over 70 years, at the OAS, we have strengthened collaboration in shared basins, mobilized more than USD 1 billion in investments, expanded partnerships with the private sector, national and local governments, and financial institutions, while building institutional and technical capacities to enhance water governance, resilience, and service delivery. This approach is effective, but we need to expand it. On this World Water Day 2026, the OAS General Secretariat reaffirms its commitment to working with Member States and partners to promote water security. Managing transboundary waters and regional ecosystems is more important than ever as shared river basins, aquifers, and ecosystems connect countries and communities across the Americas. We also call for renewed action to ensure that water flows for everyone-and that, where it does, equality increases.

Reference: E-035/26