Dakar: The United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Senegal, co-hosts of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, have concluded the High-Level Preparatory Meeting in Dakar, marking a significant milestone for the upcoming Conference scheduled in Abu Dhabi in late 2026.
According to Emirates News Agency, the two-day meeting gathered over 1,600 participants from more than 120 countries, including governments and various stakeholders, to advance preparations for the Conference. The meeting aimed to enhance alignment across the international community on key global water priorities.
The programme featured six roundtable discussions for each of the Conference's six Interactive Dialogues, as adopted by consensus in July at the UN General Assembly. These discussions began with high-level statements from co-chair countries, followed by contributions from the UN system and interventions from ministers, government representatives, and stakeholders from international organizations, NGOs, the private sector, and civil society.
Stakeholder engagement was emphasized through a dedicated multi-stakeholder meeting on 25 January, co-convened by the UAE, Senegal, and UN DESA, alongside the African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation and the German WASH Network. The meeting aimed to gather contributions from various stakeholder groups to inform the preparatory process.
The event also included more than 20 partner-led side events addressing priorities like financing, data, and capacity building related to Sustainable Development Goal 6. The UAE delegation was led by Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, and included representatives from several UAE organizations and institutions.
Bilateral meetings were held on the sidelines of the event between senior government representatives, UN officials, and leaders from international organizations. The meeting concluded with Balalaa and Senegal's Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation, Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, convening a reporting-back session to consolidate inputs into a summary document titled 'The Roadmap from Dakar to Abu Dhabi'.
In his closing remarks, Balalaa called for the international community to work towards a global framework on water, emphasizing the need for regular UN Conferences on water and enhanced coordination to achieve SDG 6. The 2026 United Nations Water Conference in Abu Dhabi aims to strengthen political will, enhance investment, and accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6, positioning water as a core element of the 2030 Agenda.