H.E. Mr. Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of The Kingdom of Bhutan,
H.E. Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Shaibani, Deputy Minister for Water of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Excellencies,
Dear colleagues,
I am pleased to join my friend Alvaro for this annual event on SDG 6.
2025 has been a busy year for the UN water agenda. Member States and stakeholders have recently reached agreement on the themes for the Interactive Dialogues of the 2026 UN Water Conference, co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal.
As Conference Secretary-General, I am encouraged by the ambition and scope of the themes, which address key challenges, including water for people, planet and prosperity. Other topics, such as water cooperation, water in multilateral processes and investments will also be tackled. The expertise within the UN system and across the multistakeholder community will be critical for developing these themes.
In addition, the effective preparations for the Interactive Dialogues, under the leadership of their respective co-chairs from member states, will provide a foundation for bold and transformational action and innovative initiatives.
UN DESA will be working closely with UN-Water to build the substantive basis for the 2026 UN Water Conference. This Special Event is a crucial steppingstone on the way to the Water Conference in December 2026. To ensure success, much needs to be done over the coming months. I look forward to closely working with this dynamic community of leaders and stakeholders throughout the process.
Thank you!