Egypt reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with international partners to ensure that the 2026 United Nations Water Conference delivers practical, action-oriented outcomes, while calling for stronger integration among the conference’s interactive dialogues to accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) on water and sanitation.
The commitment was reiterated by Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam during the ministerial meeting of the Co-Chairs of the Interactive Dialogues for the 2026 UN Water Conference, held Tuesday on the sidelines of the ministerial segment of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Minister Sewilam praised the United Arab Emirates and Senegal, co-hosts of the 2026 conference, for steering the preparatory process through an inclusive and transparent approach that has strengthened international co-operation and fostered broad stakeholder engagement.
He also reiterated Egypt’s commitment to working closely with Japan, the conference co-hosts and other international partners to ensure that the gathering produces concrete, actionable outcomes capable of addressing mounting global water challenges.
Describing the 2026 conference as a key milestone in the evolving global water agenda, Sewilam said it builds on the momentum generated by the 2023 UN Water Conference, which focused on setting global priorities. The 2026 event, he noted, will mark a transition towards implementation, ahead of a planned 2028 conference dedicated to strengthening follow-up and accountability, ultimately paving the way for a more integrated global framework for water governance beyond 2030.
The minister stressed that the conference’s interactive dialogues should function as a unified and mutually reinforcing process rather than as isolated tracks. He underscored the need to accelerate implementation of SDG 6 through stronger international partnerships and enhanced global cooperation on water issues.
As co-chair of the third interactive dialogue, “Water for the Planet,” alongside Japan, Sewilam reviewed progress achieved during the preparatory phase, highlighting a series of international consultations and high-level meetings aimed at identifying key priorities and developing flagship initiatives to address the increasingly interconnected challenges of water security and climate change.
