The 2026 United Nations Water Conference, co-organised by Senegal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi from 8 to 10 December 2026, will be a major event since the historic 2023 conference. As the world approaches the final four years of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, accelerating the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6): Clean water and sanitation for all has become an urgent global priority.
The Network of River Basin Organizations (INBO) and its members are actively preparing for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, by engaging in key discussions and offering their expertise on transboundary water governance, cooperation and integrated water management. Through its participation, INBO aims to foster international collaboration, advocate for the inclusion of basin management solutions in the conference outcomes, and ensure that water governance at all levels remains a central pillar of global efforts to achieve SDG 6.
Programme
In its resolution 78/327, the General Assembly decided that the 2026 United Nations Water Conference would comprise an opening session and a closing session, seven plenary sessions and six interactive dialoguestaking place in parallel with the plenary sessions, and side events.
The six interactive dialogues at the Conference
Here is a list of the six interactive dialogues and their themes
- Interactive Dialogue A: ‘Water for all: the human rights to water and sanitation, particularly for people in vulnerable situations, in the interests of healthy societies and economies’, co-chaired by Ghana and Switzerland [Discussion paper]
- Interactive Dialogue B: ‘Water for prosperity: valuing water, the water-energy-food nexus, promoting Integrated Water Resources Management, water use efficiency and wastewater treatment across all sectors, as well as economic and social development’, co-chaired by China and Spain [Discussion paper]
- Interactive Dialogue C: ‘Water for the planet: climate, biodiversity, desertification, the environment, from source to sea, resilience and disaster risk reduction’, co-chaired by Egypt and Japan [Discussion paper]
- Interactive Dialogue D: ‘Water for cooperation: transboundary and international cooperation in the field of water, including scientific cooperation, and inclusive governance’, co-chaired by Zambia and Finland [Discussion paper]
- Interactive Dialogue E: ‘Water in multilateral processes: Sustainable Development Goal 6, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and beyond, as well as global water initiatives’, co-chaired by Mexico and Germany [Discussion paper]
- Interactive Dialogue F: ‘Investments in the water sector: finance, technology, innovation and capacity-building’, co-chaired by France and South Africa [Discussion paper]
INBO side events!
For the United Nations Water Conference, INBO is involved in more than nine side events, two of which it is co-organising.
- Side event No. 1: ‘Scientific cooperation on water: strengthening countries’ commitment through collaboration on knowledge and action’, led by the Government of Flanders (Belgium) (Tuesday 8 December, 3.30 pm – 4.45 pm)
- Side event No. 2: ‘Full steam ahead: accelerating capacity-building for water security’, led by Panama and UNESCO’s IHP (Tuesday 8 December, 3.30 pm – 4.45 pm)
- Side event No. 3: ‘Integrating satellite data monitoring into basin management: Earth observation in the service of climate change adaptation’, led by the European Space Agency and INBO (Tuesday 8 December, 5.15 pm – 6.30 pm)
- Side event No. 4: ‘Cross-border cooperation on water is bearing fruit: a commitment across borders to achieve SDG 6’, led by Namibia (Tuesday 8 December, 5.15 pm – 6.30 pm)
- Side event No. 5: ‘River of Safety, River of Life, River of Happiness’, led by the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR) (Wednesday 9 December, 10.15 am – 11.30 am)
- Side event No. 6: ‘Cooperation at the basin level: operational tools and approaches’, led by Lesotho and INBO (Wednesday 9 December, 12.00–1.15 pm)
- Side event No. 7: ‘Beyond averages: towards inclusive, participatory and evidence-based water governance’, led by Brazil (Wednesday 9 December, 1.45 pm – 3.00 pm)
- Side event No. 8: ‘Beyond conventional water supply: alternative water sources as a climate resilience strategy’, led by IDRA (International Desalination and Reuse Association) (Thursday 10 December, 3.30 pm to 4.45 pm)