Civil society and youth get organised for the 3rd UN Water Conference

On 11 November 2025, the International  Secretariat for Water (ISW), in collaboration with the Butterfly Effect NGO coalition, the Global Youth Movement for Water and the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth, with the support of UN-Water and DESA, launched the first webinar in a series of three entitled ‘Towards the 2026 United Nations Water Conference’.

This series aims to inform, build capacity and promote mobilisation among stakeholders — particularly youth and civil society — as part of the preparatory process for the 3rd United Nations Water Conference and its six interactive dialogues.

New momentum towards the 2026 United Nations Water Conference

The 2026 United Nations Water Conference, to be held in the United Arab Emirates in December 2026, will be the third United Nations water conference after those held in Mar del Plata (1977) and New York (2023). This global meeting represents a unique opportunity to accelerate progress and collective action towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6): ensuring access to water and sanitation for all and ensuring sustainable management of these resources – while strengthening its links with other Sustainable Development Goals.

Ahead of this major process, a high-level preparatory meeting will be held in Dakar, Senegal, on 26 and 27 January 2026, to consolidate commitments and define the content of the six interactive dialogues that will frame the conference and guide discussions until 2030 and beyond.

Recognising the essential role of inclusive and multi-stakeholder engagement, particularly of civil society and youth, the International Secretariat for Water, which catalyses the Butterfly Effect NGO coalition and the Global Youth Movement for Water, is pleased to organise these webinars designed to support active and meaningful inclusive participation in the preparatory process.

Strengthening the skills and influence of youth and civil society

Through this series of webinars, the ISW and its partners aim to strengthen the capacity of young people and civil society to contribute substantially to interactive dialogues; provide participants with a clear understanding of the Conference process, including its preparatory stages; and improve the representation of civil society and youth, as well as gather concrete contributions, innovative solutions and collective messages to feed into the preparatory discussions and define global priorities to accelerate progress towards achieving SDG6.

Through these objectives, the series will contribute to the creation of an informed, coordinated and empowered community of practice, ready to engage effectively in the 2026 UN Water Conference and beyond.

First webinar: Understanding and engaging in the Conference process

The first webinar, entitled ‘Setting the scene – Understanding the 2026 UN Water Conference Process’, provided a historical overview of UN water conferences and the evolution of global water governance since the 1970s. It also offered an introduction to the six interactive dialogues that will structure the Conference, as well as a presentation of the preparatory process for the Dakar High-Level Preparatory Meeting.

In her opening remarks, Sarah Dousse, Executive Director of the International  Secretariat for Water(ISW), welcomed the sixty participants, reminding them that, “in the face of the contemporary challenges of a changing world, where our common values are being tested, when civil society and young people unite their voices, they can influence the global agenda. Our commitment is more important than ever. “

The session continued with speeches by representatives of the two co-host countries, Senegal – represented by Amadou Gueye – and the United Arab Emirates – represented by Salma Zeid – who emphasised the need to move from commitment to action to accelerate progress towards SDG 6, while reaffirming their commitment to ensuring an inclusive approach involving all stakeholders.

Participants then heard the inspiring testimony of Henk Ovink, Executive Director of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water and former Special Envoy of the Netherlands for the 2023 United Nations Water Conference. He highlighted the crucial role of youth boldness and innovation in engaging in these processes, while emphasising the need for a new framework for participation to make their voices heard — a call addressed directly to the co-hosts of the Conference.

This first webinar marks a key step in the growing mobilisation of civil society and youth towards their active participation in the preparatory process for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.

A series of webinars to build together

Would you like to join the initiative and actively contribute to the mobilisation and representation of civil society and youth in the run-up to the 2026 UN Water Conference?

Take part in the next webinars in the series now!

  • Webinar 2 – Co-developing the narrative: joint contributions from young people and civil society to interactive dialogues
    Date: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
    Time: 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (CET)
    Format: Online (Zoom), with interpretation available

This second webinar will focus on identifying key messages and advocacy priorities for each of the six interactive dialogues at the Conference.

  • Webinar 3 – Preparing for Dakar and beyond
    Date: Wednesday, 14 January 2026
    Format: Online (Zoom), with interpretation available

This third meeting will focus on preparation and capacity building for effective participation in the Dakar preparatory meeting. It will also present a post-Dakar roadmap and opportunities for coordination leading up to the Conference in December 2026.

Register for the webinar

By promoting information sharing, dialogue and coordination among relevant stakeholders, this initiative helps to create the conditions for inclusive, informed and impactful participation — essential to the success of the upcoming discussions.

The International Water Secretariat (IWS) and its partners reaffirm their commitment to supporting the meaningful involvement of all stakeholders in defining global priorities for water, sanitation and sustainable resource management.

Further information

All relevant documents and recordings can be found here: