Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sweilem met on Thursday with Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Rania al-Mashat on the sidelines of the ministerial segment of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, to discuss ways to strengthen co-operation in water resources management and sustainable development.
During the meeting, Minister Sweilem underlined the importance of investing in capacity-building programmes, particularly for the next generation of water professionals in Egypt.
He noted that boosting technical and administrative capabilities, alongside promoting the effective use of innovative technologies, are essential to equipping future water managers with the skills required to respond to the increasingly complex water-related challenges.
ESCWA Executive highlighted the importance of developing a unified regional initiative for Arab States to be presented with the flagship initiatives at the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.
She noted that such an initiative would reflect shared regional priorities and reinforce Arab cooperation in addressing common water challenges.
The meeting explored opportunities to expand collaboration between the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation and ESCWA in the areas of capacity building, knowledge exchange, and the application of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to improve water resources management.
Discussions also covered a number of regional initiatives aimed at supporting Arab countries in addressing growing water challenges and enhancing resilience to the impacts of climate change.
The meeting also included an exchange of views on the flagship initiatives currently being developed in preparation for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.
Both sides discussed opportunities to formulate practical, action-oriented initiatives that reflect regional priorities and support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 on ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
