Bringing Youth and Civil Society to the heart of Stockholm World Water Week 2026

World Water Week 2026 poster 

As the global water community gathers in Stockholm around this year’s theme, “Water for people” from august 23 to 27,  the International Secretariat for Water (ISW)’s networks and partners have mobilized to ensure that youth and civil society are not only represented but also actively participate in shaping the decisions that will define the future of water governance.

With the 2026 UN Water conference approaching, World Water Week in Stockholm is a crucial moment to connect  the dots between today’s commitments and tomorrow’s implementation.  Throught the Global Youth Movement for Water catalyzed by ISW, young water leaders will be present in keys spaces throughout the week, advocating for the institutionalization of youth participation in global water governance.

Throughout the week, there will be roudtable discussions, collaborative session and scientific sessions. Among these, on Sunday, August 23, the Swiss Water Partnership will host a high-level stakeholder meeting highlighting the Water Youth Strategy and the Youth4Water flagship initiative.

During a session organized by the WHO on monitoring the means of implementation for SDG6, Lisa Opperman of the European Youth Parliament for Water will participate in discussions aimed at translating recommendations into concrete actions.

Tuesday, August 25, will be dedicated to bridging the 2023, 2026 and 2028 UN Water Conferences. To this end, Santiago Gomez Moline from the Latin America and Caribbean section of the World Youth Parliament for Water, will join the HELP panel to advocate for youth leadership within the roadmap for the UN Water conference.

Beyond these key events, ISW and its partners will actively contribute to rountables, discussions, and networking opportunites throughout the week, establishing links between youth initiative, civil society engagement, and global water policy.

Civil society is also preparing for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference. In Stockholm, key stakeholders will come together around the initiative for a civil society declaration led by the German WASH Network and ANEW, building on the momentum created at the high-level preparatory meeting in Dakar.

For ISW, these efforts are part of a shared goal: to make global water governance more inclusive, participatory, and accountable and to ensure that the voices of those who will shape the future of water have a meaningful place within decision-making bodies.

For more information, click here and view the detailed program here.

Can’t make it to Stockholm but want to attend the sessions? You can participate online: simply register here.

Sessions of interest featuring contributions from young people and our partners:

  • Sunday 23 August, 11.00–12.30: Catalysing action: strengthening monitoring of the SDG 6 means of implementation, Room C2, Level 2
  • Sunday 23 August, 2.00 pm – 3.30 pm: Putting people at the center of water infrastructure sustainability, Rooms 24/25, Level 2
  • Sunday 23 August, 3.30 pm – 4.00 pm: Strategic stakeholder meeting to present the Youth for Water strategy, Booth 5:01
  • Sunday 23 Agusut, 4.OO – 5.30 pm: Harnessing people-powered innovation for faster progress towards SDG6, room C1, Level 2
  • Monday 24 August, 2.30 pm – 4.00 pm: The next wave of water leadership, Room 27, Level 2
  • Monday 24 August 2026, 2.30 pm – 4.00 pm: ‘Future Flows’: Co-creating the green water knowledge agenda, Room C3, Level 2
  • Monday 24 August, 4.30 pm – 6.00 pm: The new water agenda: entering the era of global water bankruptcy, hybrid session
  • Tuesday 25 August 2026, 9.00 am – 10.30 am: Young Water Professionals Debate 2026, Room C4, Level 2
  • Tuesday 25 August 2026, 11.00 am – 12.30 pm: ‘Water for Planet’: IDC conference of the UN Water Conference, Room C3, Level 2
  • Tuesday 25 August 2026, 11.00–12.30: Water for People: Advancing the human rights to water and sanitation, Room C1, Level 2
  • Wednesday 26 August 2026, 11.00 am to 12.30 pm: ‘My water story’: inspiring the next generation of water leaders, Room A2, Level 6
  • Wednesday 26 August 2026, 4.00 pm to 5.30 pm: Monitoring children’s and adolescents’ rights to WASH in schools, Room C4, Level 2
  • Thursday 27 August 2026, 9.00 am to 10.30 am: From inclusion to influence: institutionalising women’s leadership in water governance, Room C3, Level

Throughout the week, several members of the Global Youth Movement for Water, as part of the youth scientific programme, will be involved as session rapporteurs.