UAE engages global community Bali World Water Forum

This week, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ delegation headed by Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister for Energy and Sustainability, attended the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, participating in high-level panels, bilateral meetings and sessions focused on practical steps to address challenges related to water security.

The UAE has always seen climate action as an opportunity to contribute practical solutions to a global problem that affects us all, underscored most recently by its hosting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) where water held a central role in the climate agenda. During COP28, the UAE showcased its commitment towards addressing the urgent threat of global water scarcity where a pledge of USD 150 million for water scarcity solutions was announced.

Building on COP28’s water legacy and the UAE President’s launch of the Mohamed Bin Zayed Water Initiative, the UAE will continue to urge the international community to collaborate in shaping a coordinated global effort to address water scarcity. This initiative aims to elevate and prioritize water within the global agenda and accelerate the implementation of SDG 6 and all other water-related goals and targets leading up to 2026.

During the delegation’s engagement at the Forum, Balalaa participated at a number of high-level panels giving unprecedented attention to water within the climate agenda. He stressed on the importance of building on the success of the UN 2023 Water Conference and the result of the Water Action Agenda, ensuring that commitments turn into tangible actions and shared the UAE’s reflections as the co-host candidate for the UN 2026 Water Conference.

Balalaa held bilateral meetings with a diverse set of global stakeholders at the sidelines of the Water World Forum, including Barbara Pompili, Special Envoy to the French President for the One Water Summit, Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, Senegal’s Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation, to discuss the 2026 UN water conference, along with representatives from the United Nations, the World Bank, and the Global Commission on the Economics of Water.

In addition, UAE and Senegal, in their capacity as the next UN-Water Conference 2026 co-host candidates, convened key partners from the Netherlands, Tajikistan, France, Finland, Egypt and other government and non-state actors, to deliberate on targets for the next UN Water Conference. Participants engaged in discussions to exchange ideas on national, regional, and global water plans and priorities.

The UN 2023 Water Conference – formally known as the 2023 Conference for the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation (2018-2028) – took place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in March 2023.

Co-hosted by the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, it was the second UN conference dedicated to water, following the 1977 conference in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The event resulted in commitments and accelerated action towards achieving SDG 6 and other internationally agreed water-related goals and targets, including those outlined in the 2030 Development Agenda.

The next UN Water Conference will take place in 2026, with co-hosts from the UAE and Senegal organizing a series of global consultations to engage the international community in identifying shared ambitions and priorities for the upcoming conference.

Water is a crucial factor in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as for the health and prosperity of people and planet. Our progress on water-related goals and targets remains on track, which is critical to the achievement of Agenda 2030, the Paris Agreement and the Global Biodiversity Framework. (ANI/WAM)

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