UN Water Conference 2026 in Abu Dhabi: Gargash says water security is a shared responsibility
Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, said that as Abu Dhabi prepares to host the 2026 United Nations Water Conference in partnership with the Republic of Senegal, the importance of joint international action to tackle water security is being renewed. He described water security as one of the most prominent challenges to development and stability in the world.
Gargash said that by hosting this major UN event, UAE diplomacy affirms its commitment to mobilising international efforts and building partnerships to reach innovative and sustainable solutions. He stressed that ensuring water security is a 'shared responsibility' and a fundamental pillar of a more stable and prosperous future for peoples.
The conference will be held in Abu Dhabi from 8 to 10 December 2026 and aims to accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6, which seeks to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. It follows the UN Water Conference held in New York in March 2023, the first of its kind in nearly half a century.
The conference is drawing growing international interest. The UAE welcomed Canada's participation, represented by the Canada Water Agency, according to the joint statement issued at the end of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's visit to Ottawa this week, which stressed the need to turn global water commitments into concrete action through partnerships, innovation, investment and capacity building.
Al Majlis Analysis: By hosting the UN Water Conference, Abu Dhabi moves water security from the realm of concern to the realm of action. The UAE, a country with scarce natural water resources, has built long experience in desalination, water management and reuse, which gives it credibility when it calls on the world to find innovative solutions. The partnership with Senegal ties the conference to Africa's priorities, where water shortages affect millions of lives and are directly linked to food security, health and stability. The conference also matters because of its timing: it comes three years after the 2023 New York conference and roughly at the midpoint towards the 2030 deadline of the Sustainable Development Goals, making it a chance to measure progress on commitments and to turn pledges into real projects and financing on the ground.