From June 9 to 13, the International Secretariat for Water participated in the United Nations Ocean Conference, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica in Nice, France.
This event brought together 15,000 participants, including more than 60 heads of state and government.
The main objective of the ISW-SWE’s involvement in this international summit was to build bridges between the freshwater and ocean agendas. To that end, ISW-SWE deployed several strategies:
- Close collaboration with the co-hosts of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference to position a young representative from the Youth Parliaments for Water in an official session
- Publication of an op-ed highlighting the link between the freshwater and ocean agendas
- Relationship-building with civil society actors active on ocean issues
Youth Builds Bridges Between Agendas
Through close collaboration with the co-hosts, ISW supported the positioning of a young representative from the Youth Parliaments for Water (Samira Ben Ali, an alumna of the Youth for Water and Climate Program) in the official session “Bridging the waters from the 2025 UN Ocean Conference to the 2026 UN Water Conference.” This event, organized by the governments of the United Arab Emirates and Senegal in collaboration with UN-Water, aimed to strengthen synergies between the UN Water (2026) and Ocean (2025) Conferences around a “source-to-sea” approach to water and aquatic ecosystems integrated, resilient, and equitable.
Alongside other stakeholders, Samira reminded attendees that pollution knows no borders and emphasized the vital role of youth in unifying the freshwater and ocean communities.
The 2026 Conference co-hosts called for breaking silos and building strong synergies for coherent water governance, where we must learn to collaborate, ensure a future for the next generations, and strengthen capacity, financing, and governance. Panelists stressed the interdependence of freshwater and oceans, highlighting that today’s challenges require holistic responses and a new water economy based on water as a common good, involving local communities and respecting their rights.
Barbara Pompili, France’s Ambassador for the Environment, called on all stakeholders to make the 2026 Conference a turning point towards regular intergovernmental meetings on water, a key advocacy objective for ISW-SWE and the Butterfly Effect coalition, supported by various Member States.
First General Assembly of the French Youth Parliament for Water
Alongside the Conference, the first General Assembly of the French Youth Parliament for Water (PFJE) was held in Nice. The event included a roundtable on international cooperation featuring the International Secretariat for Water, the French Water Partnership, the Artois-Picardie Water Agency, and the Martinique Water Office, discussing the challenges and levers for inclusive and global water governance.
This assembly marks a major milestone for the French Youth Parliament, a tangible outcome of the December 2024 One Water Summit, where the International Secretariat for Water led youth participation. This momentum is driven with the support of key figures like Barbara Pompili and grounded in a forward-looking vision by and for youth.
Breaking Silos
ISW published an op-ed on the importance of breaking silos for integrated governance of freshwater and oceans, which was well received.
Tackling the global water crisis means more than ensuring safe drinking water and sanitation for billions ; it also involves protecting aquatic ecosystems, safeguarding ocean health, and ensuring long-term societal stability. One of the best ways to achieve this is through an inclusive, multisectoral approach that addresses today’s challenges by integrating youth and civil society in decision-making spaces.
This advocacy aligns closely with our roadmap toward the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.
Our participation in UNOC marked a key step in preparing for the 2026 UN Water Conference. It reaffirmed ISW-SWE’s role as a catalyst for youth engagement in water issues and mobilized a wide range of stakeholders toward 2026 in favor of more daring, cross-cutting, and truly integrated representation of change-makers.