As part of preparations for hosting the UN Water Conference 2026, the United Arab Emirates took part in the High-Level Political Forum in New York, using the occasion to review progress on Sustainable Development Goal 6 and to accelerate international momentum towards universal access to water and sanitation, and the sustainable management of water by 2030.
Building momentum ahead of Abu Dhabi 2026
With less than six months to go before the UN Water Conference 2026, which the UAE will host jointly with the Republic of Senegal, this year’s High-Level Political Forum served as an important milestone for assessing progress, strengthening cooperation and speeding up delivery on SDG 6.
The UAE delegation was led by Abdullah Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, who took an active role in the forum’s proceedings. His delegation held a series of high-level ministerial meetings with representatives of governments, the United Nations, the private sector and civil society organisations, helping to build momentum for the conference.
Cooperation with co-chairs of the interactive dialogues
The UAE’s participation focused in particular on close coordination with the 12 co-chairs of the conference’s six interactive dialogues. These member states are leading the thematic preparatory work for each dialogue and contributing to the shaping of the conference’s priorities and outcomes.
In this context, the UAE organised a ministerial meeting with the co-chairs to review progress, discuss the next phase and strengthen consensus and ambition ahead of the conference.
High-level event at UN headquarters
The UAE also hosted a formal high-level side event at the United Nations headquarters, bringing together the co-chairs of the interactive dialogues as well as senior leaders from the public and private sectors internationally.
Opening remarks were delivered by Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, alongside the two host countries of the conference.
During the session, Abdullah Balalaa stressed the importance of the current stage, saying: «I urge everyone to view our participation in the High-Level Political Forum as a roadmap for the UN Water Conference. We know the scale of the progress made in the water sector, and we are also aware of the significant gaps that remain. Today, we have a responsibility to turn our aspirations into practical action, and to achieve pioneering, tangible and measurable results that benefit people and communities around the world».
The plenary session, attended by more than 200 participants from across the international community, provided a platform for stakeholders to exchange updates and discuss opportunities to contribute to the implementation of SDG 6.
Broad engagement across the UN forum
The UAE’s presence at the United Nations included participation in a wide range of sessions dedicated to reviewing SDG 6 in support of the UN Water Conference 2026, as well as thematic discussions on water within multilateral tracks, strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships, water cooperation among states, enhancing resilience in water, sanitation and hygiene, and supporting groundwater resources.
At a UN side event devoted to SDG 6, participants underlined the importance of adopting a comprehensive, collective approach to accelerate progress, ensuring that all stakeholders are involved in the preparations for the UN Water Conference 2026.
The discussions stressed that young people, local leaders, Indigenous peoples, the private sector, civil society organisations and public-private partners must all play an active role in shaping solutions and driving action, on the basis that meaningful impact requires everyone’s participation and the pooling of efforts.
Youth leadership and global water diplomacy
Among the standout events organised by the UAE during the forum was a dedicated youth leaders’ gathering, hosted by the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the United Nations in partnership with several international organisations and youth groups, to mark the launch of the UAE Global Youth Water Ambassadors programme.
The initiative is a flagship programme developed jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Arab Youth Centre, aimed at empowering young people to contribute effectively to global water diplomacy.
Meetings with international partners
Over the two weeks of the High-Level Political Forum, the UAE delegation held a number of meetings with ministers, senior UN officials, policymakers, international organisations, multilateral development banks and civil society groups to deepen dialogue and build partnerships in support of SDG 6.
Those meetings included engagements with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Japan, the European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, the German Minister of State for Climate, and several senior UN officials, including the Deputy Secretary-General.
Looking ahead to December
The UAE concluded its participation in the forum with a formal reception held at its Permanent Mission to the United Nations, attended by a large number of guests to celebrate progress made in support of the UN Water Conference 2026 and to sustain momentum for the next phase.
As December approaches, the UAE continues to call on its partners to bring forward ambitious and implementable commitments in Abu Dhabi. The UN Water Conference 2026, hosted by the UAE in partnership with the Republic of Senegal, will provide a global platform to accelerate implementation of SDG 6, with a focus on moving from dialogue to action.