UAE and Senegal Host High-Level Preparatory Meeting in Dakar Ahead of 2026 UN Water Conference

As co-hosts of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference (2026 UNWC), the UAE and the Republic of Senegal convened the High-Level Preparatory Meeting in Dakar from 26–27 January 2026. The meeting marked a key milestone in the preparatory process, bringing together for the first time the 12 recently appointed co-chair countries of the six Interactive Dialogues.

The UAE delegation was led by His Excellency Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, and included representatives from key UAE agencies, both government and private, underscoring the UAE’s approach to engaging stakeholders in order to advance international cooperation on water.

The Dakar Preparatory Meeting was opened by the President of Senegal, His Excellency Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The opening ceremony brought together ministers and high-level government officials, senior representatives from the United Nations and other international and regional organizations, including the African Union Commissioner, international financial institutions, civil society, the private sector, as well as youth, and other key stakeholders, to strengthen political momentum and advance collective efforts to accelerate commitments and actions on water.

At the opening of the meeting, H.E. Balalaa in his High-Level statement outlined the co-hosts’ vision for the 2026 UN Water Conference, as a “Conference of Implementation,” aimed at driving action towards a sustainable water future for all. H.E. Balalaa said: “After a 46-year pause in UN Water Conferences, and through the renewed political momentum that was led by the UAE after the 2023 UNWC, the 2026 Conference must be about implementation. Quite simply, it is a make-or-break moment. Either we unite behind sustained, coordinated, and accelerated global water action, or we as an international society risk failing not only SDG 6, but many of our broader global priorities.

Senegal's Minister of Water and Sanitation Cheikh Tidiane Dieye said: “Cooperation and diplomacy around water constitute strategic pillars of Senegal’s foreign and regional policy, transforming a vital resource into a lever for peace and stability, a vision Senegal brings to the preparations for the 2026 UN Water Conference. “

The meeting comprised focused discussions on each of the interactive dialogues, chaired by the respective co-chairs. In addition, the two host countries convened, for the first time, a joint meeting, bringing together the 12 co-chairs of the six interactive dialogues, as follows:

- Water for People: Switzerland and Ghana
- Water for Prosperity: Spain and China
- Water for Planet: Japan and Egypt
- Water for Cooperation: Finland and Zambia
- Water in Multilateral Processes: Germany and Mexico
- Investments for Water: France and South Africa

The co-hosts, UAE and Senegal, welcomed the newly appointed ministerial-level co-chairs of the Interactive Dialogues, who will play a significant role in advancing the Conference’s ambition to accelerate implementation of SDG6 and scale up global water action. The UAE and Senegal also emphasized the importance of engaging all Member States and stakeholders in the process, as this will be critical to ensuring a collective, action-oriented outcome at the Conference.

The High-Level Preparatory Meeting will continue with further exchanges of views and perspectives in support of the ongoing preparatory process for the 2026 UN Water Conference.