The Network of Basin Organizations (RIOB) and its members will actively participate in the Dakar Preparatory Meeting for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, engaging in key discussions and offering their expertise on transboundary water governance, cooperation, and integrated water management. Through their presence, RIOB aims to foster international collaboration, advocate for the inclusion of basin management solutions in the conference’s outcomes, and ensure that water governance at all levels remains a central pillar of global efforts to achieve SDG 6.

As the world approaches the final five years of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, accelerating action on Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6): Clean Water and Sanitation for All has become an urgent global priority. To lay the groundwork for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, a preparatory meeting will be held in Dakar, Senegal, in December 2025, bringing together governments, international organizations, civil society, and water experts to shape the themes and agenda of the upcoming global event.

Towards a Water-Secure Future

The 2026 UN Water Conference, co-hosted by Senegal and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi from December 2-4, 2026, will be the first major UN water conference since the historic 2023 UN Water Conference. Building on the momentum generated in 2023, the 2026 conference aims to drive political will, investment, and innovation to accelerate progress on SDG 6 and strengthen global water governance.

In preparation for this landmark event, the Dakar Preparatory Meeting will serve as a critical platform for discussions on the themes of the interactive dialogues that will shape the 2026 Conference.

Key Focus Areas for the 2026 Conference

Discussions in Dakar will be guided by the priorities set during the 2023 UN Water Conference, which centered around five key themes:

  • Water for Health: Ensuring universal access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) as a fundamental human right.
  • Water for Sustainable Development: Integrating water management into the water-energy-food nexus and promoting sustainable urban and economic development.
  • Water for Climate, Resilience, and Environment: Addressing the impacts of climate change on water resources, biodiversity, and disaster risk reduction.
  • Water for Cooperation: Strengthening transboundary water governance, scientific collaboration, and cross-sectoral partnerships to achieve SDG 6.
  • Water Action Decade: Accelerating commitments to the UN Secretary-General’s Action Plan for the Water Action Decade (2018-2028).

Shapping the 2026 Agenda

The organizational session of the Preparatory Meeting will focus on defining the themes of the interactive dialogues for the 2026 Conference. Delegations will be encouraged to share recommendations and insights to ensure that the conference outcomes drive meaningful and measurable progress. The preparatory process will also set the stage for the first-ever UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation, launched in July 2024, to enhance global coordination on water action.

As the international community comes together in Dakar, the Preparatory Meeting for the 2026 UN Water Conference will play a crucial role in ensuring that SDG 6 remains at the center of global action, paving the way for a future where water security, resilience, and sustainability are within reach for all.