Honourable Ministers,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Participants,
Dear colleagues,
It is a great pleasure to join you today for this High-level Special Event, ¡°Water for Planet: From the 2026 UN Water Conference to 2028¡±.
I extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Han Seung-soo and the High-level Experts and Leaders Panel on Water and Disasters for their leadership in convening this timely gathering.
I also commend Egypt and Japan for their stewardship as Co-Chairs of Interactive Dialogue C, and thank all partners supporting today¡¯s discussion.
This meeting comes less than three months before the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi, co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal.
The Conference aims to accelerate the implementation of SDG 6 and translate the commitments of the 2023 Water Action Agenda into concrete, measurable progress.
Interactive Dialogue C has a central role in this effort.
Climate change is intensifying floods, droughts and water scarcity. Freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity continue to decline. Pollution and land degradation continue to compromise water quality and availability from source to sea.
These challenges are deeply interconnected through the water cycle, but our policies, institutions, and financing are too often fragmented.
Interactive Dialogue C can help close this gap by unifying global action across water, climate, biodiversity, desertification, ecosystems, resilience and disaster risk reduction.
Three areas deserve particular attention.
First, countries need integrated policies and plans that recognize water as the core link across climate, biodiversity, land and disaster risk reduction commitments.
These strategies must be translated into practical programmes that respond to national priorities and local conditions.
Second, we must strengthen the foundations for action: reliable data, science, early warning systems, resilient infrastructure, and the protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems and source-to-sea connectivity.
These measures are essential to mitigate risk, protect lives and livelihoods, and support sustainable development.
Third, finance, technology and capacity development must reach the countries and communities that need them most.
Public resources remain essential, but they should also help mobilize responsible private investment and strengthen the institutions needed to deliver and sustain results.
The six Interactive Dialogues are mutually reinforcing. Progress on Water for Planet will also advance water for people and prosperity, cooperation, multilateral processes and investment.
We should therefore maintain coherence across the Dialogues, focusing on solutions that are country-owned, scalable and measurable.
Today¡¯s event can help sharpen practical proposals, partnerships and potential flagship initiatives for consideration in Abu Dhabi.
It can also help ensure continuity beyond 2026.
The 2028 UN Water Conference in Tajikistan must build on the progress of 2026, strengthening accountability and carrying effective initiatives forward through the final push of the 2030 Agenda.
My Department, UN DESA, remains fully committed to supporting the Co-hosts, the Co-chairs and all stakeholders in delivering an inclusive, ambitious and action-oriented Conference.
Excellencies,
The remaining time to achieve SDG 6 is short, and the costs of delay are growing.
Let us leverage today¡¯s discussion to strengthen cooperation, identify practical action and build momentum towards a successful 2026 UN Water Conference and beyond.
Thank you.