(1st meeting) High-Level Political Forum 2026

Excellencies, Distinguished delegates, good morning.
I declare open the High level Political Forum on Sustainable Development convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council at its 2026 sessions, and I call to order its host meeting.
Before proceeding further, I invite participants to watch a short video on the High level Political forum.
Please play the video.
Our world is battling multiple crises, impacting the lives of people around the globe.
With only four years remaining until our 2030 deadline, progress on the sustainable development goals remains uneven.
Many challenges persist.
Yes.
Still, collective efforts bring results.
Electricity is now accessible to 92% of the global population.
Renewable capacity is rapidly growing, more than doubling since 2015.
Internet is now reaching three quarters of the world's population.
When we work together, we can make things happen.
We must act urgently and we must act together to shift the momentum.
The high level political forum is where we can make this happen, where we can accelerate action to achieve the sustainable development goals, our blueprint for a better world.
This year, the forum puts a spotlight on clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, industry, innovation and infrastructure, sustainable cities and communities, and partnerships for the goals.
36 countries will show us their actions and solutions.
Let us re energize the global conversation, spotlight hope and inspire action.
Follow the conversation.
Let's deliver better.
Let's deliver together for a sustainable future for all.
I thank the Department of Economic and Social Affairs for producing this video.
I now invite the forum to turn to its provisional agenda.
It's contained in the document E slash LPF slash 2026 slash one.
May I take it that the forum wishes to adopt the provisional agenda.
It's contained in the document slash LPF slash 2026 slash one.
I hear no objections.
It is so decided.
I will now deliver my opening remarks.
Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, distinguished delegates.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to welcome you to all to the 2026 High level Political Forum on Sustainable Development convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council.
When member states endorse the 2030 agenda, they acknowledge a simple but profound reality.
Peace, prosperity, and sustainability cannot be pursued separately.
A decade later, this understanding has become even more pressing, more compelling, and more consequential.
The world we face today is more complex, more uncertain, and interconnected than ever before.
Conflicts continue to devastate lives.
Climate change is intensifying.
Fiscal pressures and debt burdens are constraining development.
At the same time, rapid advances in science, technology, and artificial intelligence are transforming our economies and our societies at extraordinary speed, creating unprecedented opportunities, but also new divides.
The burdens of these overlapping crisis are not shared equally.
The recent Ecosc Special meeting on safeguarding energy and supplies flows reminded us that countries in special situations, including least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states continue to face disproportionate challenges with mounting fiscal pressures and disruptions to energy, trade and supply chains, threatening hard earned development gains.
Eight, this is not a story only of setbacks.
Around the world, countries are expanding social protection, they are improving access to water, sanitation, cyl energy, and they are strengthening resilience and harnessing innovations to improve lives.
Now, with less than five years remaining until 2030, the challenge before us is not simply to move faster.
It is to work differently.
It is to work collectively, and it is to work with result.
Implementation can no longer be approach one goal, one sector, or one institutions at a time.
It requires policies that are integrated.
It requires partnerships that are stronger and it requires international cooperation that is more effective.
That is why the theme of the 2026 SLPF and the Economic and Social Council, transformative, equitable, innovative and coordinated actions for the 2030 agenda and its sustainable development goals for a sustainable future for all is both timely and necessary.
Excellencies, throughout this year's ecosx cycle, member states, the United Nations systems, and stakeholders have come together across a series of forums and segments to explore practical pathways for accelerating implementations.
As different segments and forums under the EcoSC this year, from the youth forum and the partnership forum to the forum on financing for Deployment follow up, the multi stakeholder Forum on Science Technology and Innovation for the SDGs, the coordination segment, and the operational activities for Development Sgment.
Our discussions have addressed different dimensions of sustainable development.
Taken together, however, they pointed to one common conclusions.
Our challenges are increasingly interdependent.
Our responses must become equally coordinated.
Whether discussing financing, whether we discuss about innovation, development cooperations, partnership or support to countries.
The council reached the same conclusion.
That is, implementation succeeds when policies are integrated, when partnership are cot, and when institutions work together.
The goals under review this year remind us precisely why water security is not only about water.
It underpins health, food systems, energy production, climate resilience, and sustainable urban development.
Access to water and sanitation is fundamental to dignity, equality, and opportunity, particularly for women and girls.
When a water system fail, vulnerabilities multiply.
When they succeed, progress accelerate across the 2030 agenda.
E, to our utmost consternation, billions remain without safe water and without basic sanitation.
This is a profound injustice that continue to erode human development and resilience.
Adré this gap is not optional, it is moral and development imperative.
The same is true for energy.
Affordable and clean energy powers opportunities, productivity, and sustainable growth.
Energy is no longer simply an infrastructure issues.
It is a development issues.
It supports hospitals and schools, it enables innovations, it strengthens resilience and expands economic opportunities.
Accelerating the transition to affordable and accessible clean energy is therefore not only an energy objective.
It is essential to achieving progress across the 2030 agenda.
Ensuring universal access to clean energy is indispensable to dignity, development, and climate justice.
Nevertheless, millions remain without electricity, without clean cooking options, and without modern energy services.
This is a reality That continue to constant human potential and widen disparities.
Excellencies, distant goods delegates.
In price structure, industrialization, innovation tailors, similar story.
Sustainable industrialization remains essential for creating decent jobs, increasing productivity, and supporting economic diversification.
Today, resilience depends not only on road sports and power grids.
It also depends on digital public infrastructure, connectivity, research, technology transform and innovation ecosystems capable of translating knowledge into sustainable and inclusive growth.
As science, technology, data, and artificial intelligence reshape our societies, ensuring that their benefits are shared equitably has become both a development imperative and taste of international cooperations.
Innovation must become a breeze not another divide.
Cities and human settlements bring all these dynamics together.
They are where infrastructures, energy, water, innovations, inclusion, and resilience converge.
They are where sustainable development is ultimately experienced by people.
It is through integrated planning and investment that cities and communities can simultaneously improve housing, mobility, access to services, climate resilience, and economic opportunities.
Excellencies, taken together, the goals under review this year remind us that sustainable development cannot be advanced in one sector at a time.
They also remind us Why goal 17 remains indispensable? Whether the challenge is water security, energy access or affordability, sustainable industrialization, or resilient cities.
Progress depends on mobilizing finance, strengthening national capacities, harnessing science, technology, and innovations, promoting knowledge sharing, and reinforcing international cooperations.
This understanding was reinforced throughout this year's work of the Economic and Social Council.
The financing for development discussions reaffirmed that closing financing gaps remains indispensable.
STI form reminded us that technology alone will not close development gaps.
Innovation must be accompanied by investment.
It should be accompanied by capacity building, and it should be accompanied by international cooperations if it is to benefit all.
Every Across every forum, one message become clear.
Solutions become more effective when they are saved through partnerships, implemented at a country level and strengthened through corporations, across institutions, across sectors, and communities.
Excellencies, the high level political forum is the United Nations central platform for follow up and review of the 2030 agenda.
It is where member states come together to assess progress, learn from one another, and strengthen collective actions in the final years leading to 2030.
Over the coming days, we will review progress on SDG six, seven, nine, 11, and 17 and hear from 36 countries presenting voluntary national reviews.
It is where national experience informs global actions and where global commitments are translated into national implementations.
There are opportunities to a practical solutions, to strengthen partnerships, and build confidence that progress remains possible.
They will also help shape out preparations for the 27 SDG summit and finally stage towards 2030.
Excellencies, distined delegates.
The world does not need another catalog of challenges.
We know the challenges.
What we need is greater coherence, stronger partnerships, more effective and international cooperation, faster implementations, and most of all, better delivery and the impact on the ground.
The 2030 agenda, remains our sad promise to people, to planet, and for future generations.
This is the years ahead will not ask whether the challenges were difficult.
They will ask whether we were equal to them.
Let this forum so that when we connect ideas with actions, when we connect finance with innovations, and when we connect national leadership with international solidarity, progress is still possible.
The destinations before us has no sense.
The question is whether we will have the courage to reach it by delivering better together.
I thank you.
Excellencies, disting delegates.
The forum will now begin considerations of the Item two of its agenda entitled Transformative Equitable Innovative and Coordinated action for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its sustainable development goals for a sustainable future for all.
With this, I now invite Mr.
Lee Zina, Under Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, to present the report of the Secretary-General on the progress toward the sustainable development goals.
It's contained in document E slash 2026 slash 73.
President of ESOC, Honorable Ministers, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, dear colleagues.
It is my honor to present the Secretary-General 2026 Progress Report on Sustainable Development Goals.
I would also conclude with a brief update on the linkages between the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, orderly and the regular Migration and the 2030 agenda building on updates to previous HRPFs.
The Secretary-General report, the Secretary-General progress report is both a testament to what is possible and the urgent call to do far more.
With less than five years to achieve the SDGs, the reports offers a clear eyed measure of our collective progress, the monumental and urgent work ahead.
The gains are real.
Of the 139 SDG targets with available trend data, 36% are on track or making moderate progress.
Behind that number are lives transformed.
Since 2015, hundreds of millions have gained access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
Social protection now covers over half of the global population.
Disaster related deaths have dropped by the 65% compared to the previous decade.
Electricity now reaches to 92% of the global population with one third powered by the renewable sources.
Internet access has surged 40-74% connecting the billions to the new opportunities.
Child mortality reduction target has been met by 134 countries.
New HIV infections, and AIDS related deaths have each fallen by roughly one third.
Our capacity to observe and document progress has itself been transformed.
In 2016, data existed for roughly half of the world SDG indicators.
Today, we have over 3.2 billion data points, a tenfold growth covering nearly every indicator.
But the start gaps remain.
Of those targets with trend data, about one in seven targets have fallen below its 2015 baseline.
Nearly half have made only marginal progress, moving far too slowly to achieve the targets by 2030.
One in ten people still lives in extreme poverty, food insecurity affects the 2.3 billion people.
Maternal mortality remains nearly three times the global target.
Over 150 million children are sted and the discrimination curbs the potential of the one in five people worldwide.
These four shots are compounded by the convergence of the crisis.
In 2025, global temperatures reached 1.43 degrees Celsius above pre industrial levels.
Violent conflicts at its highest level in decades have forcefully displaced 118 million people.
Official development assistance collapsed by a record 23% last year, eroding the financial foundations for improving lives in the world's poorest countries.
In midst of Lee's crisis, we must also navigate profound demographic shifts across the world.
Changes in population size, age structure, and special distributions are fundamentally rewriting the social and economic contract with broader implications for sustainable development.
Aging population, large use cohort, rapid urbanization and migration are reshaping our workforces, strengthening social protection systems and testing the very fabric of the communities.
To turn this demographic shift into dividends, our policy responses must empower people to make the informed choices.
These require a sustained lifelong investment in human capital.
From the use of education to healthy agent backed by stronger governance, cohesive societies, and strategic use of the demographic data and foresight.
Excellencies distinguish the delegates.
The way forward is clear.
We must scale our proven successes and address the root causes of our setbacks.
This demands decisive action for peace and stability, stronger institutions and structural transformation.
We must restore the physical space through the meaningful debt relief and mobilize development finance at scale, strengthening food, energy, and water systems, expanding essential services, addressing inequalities, and empowering women and youth.
Modern technologies and stronger statistical systems have given us the evidence base that we need to take effective action.
Let us use this data with reinvigorated the sense of urgency to finally delivered on the promise of the 2030 agenda for a more equitable, peaceful, and sustainable future.
Excellencies.
I will now speak on behalf of the United Nations Network on migration.
Weeks after the second International Migration Review Forum, member states reaffirmed their commitment to the international cooperation, adopting a forward looking progress declaration that further strengthened the link between the implementation of the Global Compact for migration and the 2030 agenda.
The message is clear, the focus must shift from the commitments to implementation, supported by the strong level of the engagement and a growing number of the reviewed and pledges.
Migration is integral to sustainable development.
It is how do we build inclusive societies, resilient communities, and stronger labor markets, advance the gender equality, and promote more effective international cooperation.
Our task now is to translate this into the tangible impact in our policies, our institutions, and most importantly, in people's lives.
The network stands ready to work with member states and the United Nations system and all partners to make this reality.
The longer version of this network statement will be posted online.
Thank you very much for your attention.
I thank the Under Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs for his presentations.
Excellency, that concludes the opening segment.
We will take a short break for the podium to be rearranged before proceeding with the interactive panel.
Yeah.
Good to see you.
Excellencies, distinguished delegates.
The forum now will begin considerations of sub Item A of agenda Item two, entitled Review of the Sustainable Development Goals 679 11 and 17.
In order to hold an introductive panel on SDG six and interlinkages with other SDGs, water and sanitation.
Before we begin our discussion, I invite you to watch a third video highlighting key findings from the recently released 2026 SDG progress report related to SDG goal six on clean water and sanitations.
This brief overview will help say the scene and provide useful context for our deliberations today.
Please play the video now.
While global access to essential services steadily improved, billions of people still lack safely managed drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene.
2015-2024, 961 million people gained access to safely managed drinking water, 1.2 billion to safely managed sanitation, and 1.6 billion to basic hygiene services.
By 2024, 74% of the world's population had access to safely managed drinking water, 58% had access to safely managed sanitation, and 80% had basic hygiene services.
Yet people in the least developed countries were two to three times more likely to lack these services.
Global water use efficiency improved 24% 2015-2023.
In Northern Africa and Western Asia and southern and central Asia, water stress exceeds 75% and around 10% of the global population live in countries with high or critical stress levels.
Reporting on water quality grew from 72 countries in 2017 to 124 and 2023, yet, data gaps persist in poorer regions.
Although most countries sharing transboundary rivers, lakes and aquifers have now reported data on transboundary water cooperation.
In 2023, only 43 countries had operational arrangements covering 90% or more of the transboundary basin area in their territory.
Making safe and sustainable water and sanitation a reality for everyone will require stronger institutions, dedicated investment, improved monitoring, and greater community participation, particularly as climate change impacts intensify.
Find more insights in the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026.
Thank you.
I'm now please to welcome our guest speaker, as well as our moderator, miss John Bagel, Director General of the International Development Law Organizations.
I now hand the floor over to the moderator and invite her to begin the discussions.
Thank you very much, Mr.
President and distinguished delegates.
I'm very pleased to moderate this session on SDG six, a goal that is fundamental to people everywhere.
The story of SDG six is one of progress, but not nearly enough.
Since 2015, we have seen that almost 1 billion people have gained access to safe drinking water, while over 1 billion have gained access to safe sanitation.
These achievements have transformed the lives of hundreds of millions of people.
Yet progress remains too slow and too uneven and the world is still not on track to achieve SEG six by 2030.
This session will show the interlinkages between SDG six and the other goals.
As Director General of IDLO, the only global intergovernmental organization exclusively dedicated to advancing peace and sustainable development through the rule of law, I see every day how progress on one goal can accelerate progress across many others.
I have four brief introductory thoughts drawing on IDOs experience.
First, access to safe drinking water and sanitation is a human right.
But rights must be backed by enforceable laws, effective institutions, and meaningful accountability.
Second, SDG six has a profound gender dimension.
For example, women and girls continue to bear the greatest burden of collecting water, often at the expense of education, economic opportunity, and personal safety.
Ensuring safe and accessible water and sanitation services is essential to achieving gender equality.
Third, strong laws, and enabling environment and inclusive governance are indispensable to enable countries to manage water resources sustainably, protect ecosystems, resolve disputes, and reduce conflict, and ensure that all communities, including women, youth, indigenous peoples, and other marginalized groups can participate in decisions that affect them.
Finally, institutions matter as much as infrastructure.
Effective institutions are essential to deliver sustainable results.
The rule of law helps transform water from a source of vulnerability into the foundation of productive economies.
Ultimately, SDG six is about people.
Successful implementation requires people centered approaches that put communities at the heart of decision making and shaping the solutions that affect them.
As we look ahead to the 2026 Water Conference, let us use this review as an opportunity to strengthen partnerships, mobilize investment, scale solutions that have worked and accelerate implementation.
We have an outstanding panel of speakers who will help us explore these issues and identify practical pathways to accelerate progress.
I would like to introduce our distinguished panelists and discussants.
On my left, Her Excellency, Mr.
Etna Masudi, the special envoy of the Secretary-General on Water.
All right.
Mr.
Saj Kumaja, the Global Director of the World Bank Group's Water Department, and Professor Kava Madani, Director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health.
We are also joined by two discussants, miss Margaret Minor, Executive Officer and founding member of the Women in Water and Sanitation Association, and Mr.
Liefen Lee, Director of the Land and Water Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization.
So I will begin by inviting our panelists to reflect all of them on the following question.
The question is, Drawing from your experience and expertise, what do you see as a key challenge to achieving SDG six and are there any emerging solutions that could make a significant impact looking to 2030 and beyond? I would request our panelists to limit the interventions to 3 minutes.
I'm calling first on miss Masuti.
You have the floor, ma'am.
Well, thank you very much, Madam Moderator.
Good morning to all of you.
I would like to start with good news.
As we all see the presentation of the video, We have to acknowledge that since 2015, we have made significant progress in the water and sanitation agenda the last decade.
The SDG six synthesis report confirm this.
I don't want to repeat what the progress has been made so far.
The question here is why I start my, my intervention by mentioning the progress.
I just want to show that the solution axis.
But the next question is why water remains as one of the major challenges that the world is now facing.
The average level of water stress has remained almost unchanged at approximately 18%.
The answer in my views is very simple.
The challenge is not that we don't know what to do.
The challenge is the speed and consistency of implementation.
I want to repeat it again, the speed and consistency of implementation.
We are simply not moving fast enough to keep up the growing needs.
As we approach 2030, we need almost an eight fold acceleration to achieve universal access to safe drinking water and almost a six fold acceleration to for sanitation.
Next question again.
What is holding us back? I see here two main challenges.
Number one, turning commitments into action.
Number two, strengthening the capacity to deliver those action.
First, we need the highest political commitment to turn agenda into action and into result.
Second, on inadequate capacity to implement accelerate action, many countries are ready to move faster, but we know that we still face challenges in finance, technology, data, institutional capacity, and others.
This is why international cooperation remains more important than ever.
Countries need stronger support for financing, capacity building, technology transfer, and others.
Next question.
Where do I see reason for optimism? I see three game changer.
First is the political momentum.
Colleagues, after almost 50 years, the international communities came together again in 2023 Water UN Conference.
That was an important signal that water has returned to the center of the global development agenda.
The decision to convene UN Water Conference in 2026, 2028 shows that this momentum is growing and we must maintain this momentum and turn it into concrete action.
The second game changer is partnership.
Today, we see more government working together, we see more civil society, organizations stepping forward, and we see more private sector ready to contribute.
This growing willingness to work together gives us a new opportunity to accelerate progress.
My last is the third game changer is about technology and innovation.
Today, technology offers solution, of course, but one point is very important.
Technology must be accessible and affordable for all countries.
Innovation should reduce gaps, not widen them.
That is my points, Madam moderators, back to you Anne, thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
I now turn to Mr.
Saj Kumuja.
You have the floor, sir.
Thank you very much, Madam Moderator, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, first of all, very warm good morning to everyone.
Very happy to be here on behalf of the World Bank Group.
I agree with pretty much everything that Her Excellency Ms has said about the challenges and the solutions, but let me make a few points just to support what she said earlier.
First, on the emerging challenges.
If I have to list one single most important challenge that is impacting the progress on SDG six, it is under investment.
We can come to this point from many angles.
You can say poor governance, lack of efficiency, losses in the system.
Bottom line is under investments.
Under investment, both in maintaining what you've created, new infrastructure.
Most governments don't have budget for O&M, and then of course, you have very little in your budget for new infrastructure.
I'll give you some data points.
On an average in the public expenditure review we did last year and this is an open dataset.
You can go and check how governments are spending on water.
Only 0.5% of annual budget is spent on water.
When I say water means water supplies, sanitation, irrigation, flood and drought management, the broad water related investments.
Now, 0.5% is nothing compared to what the governments are spending in other sectors, transport, energy, et cetera.
Clearly, I would beg to disagree with those who say water has already come to the center stage.
Water is not yet center stage in the public financing and the annual budgeting process.
This got to change.
My request to everyone in the audience from the government who have an influence to start looking at the budgeting process.
I'll talk about the emerging practices as well, but I wanted to make that point very clear.
But if you unpack the underinvestment, there's one more pattern you'll find, not only governments are underinvesting, the governments also have not succeeded in creating enabling environment for private sector participation.
If you see the total spending in the water sector, only 2% of that is coming from private sector.
98% of that money is coming from annual budget of the government.
And off of the 98%, 6% is coming from the ODA, including MDB assistant.
Clearly, the math doesn't support the rhetoric that water is very important.
Not yet.
The numbers do not support that assert statements that water has become a very important topic for the governments around the world.
The other data point also related to this is that the projections that we have for the countries.
I fully recognize the progress that was presented in the progress report on SDGs today, but look at the other side of it.
In a business as usual scenario, most sub San African countries will reach their SDGs on safely managed drinking water after 2050 and most sub Saran African countries will meet their SDGs on safely managed sanitation in the 22nd century, not in 21st century.
Clearly, there is a lot here in terms of the challenge that we really need to engage in the policy space partnership and of course, making sure that the money is spent properly.
But let me now turn on the solution side.
I was also asked the question on emerging challenges.
I do see countries around the world, particularly developing countries that I can talk to, who are really making water a very important priority.
I will mention a few countries.
I know I will not mention all the countries and I want to be questioned for that, but I do want to mention a few so that you really know that the countries are making good progress.
Angola, in Africa came to the market last week with a PPP for wastewater treatment.
Angola is a country which has deployed sovereign guarantee for mobilizing commercial financing at scale.
They are moving away from purely a public financing towards leveraging public financing for more private and commercial financing.
Senegal has come forward with a 15 year water security program which relies on not just public financing, but relies heavily on private sector participation and use of guarantees to crowd in more private sector cross border investments.
We can talk about India, a country which has demonstrated strong political commitment through Skimark mission and elgivan mission to reach billions of people with water supply and sanitation.
You can talk about Indonesia, which has really completely revolutionized the irrigation sector performance through Water Users Association and how you improve efficiency, better performance in the way you do investments.
Saudi Arabia, complete transformation in the way new investments are mobilized through public private partnership in desalination and particularly moving more towards more efficient, energy efficient and cost effective desalination.
Brazil, SSP in Brazil, a great example of how a utility can really come to New York Stock Exchange.
Perhaps the only utility which is listed in the New York Stock Exchange, which reaches to 30 million people, the largest utility in the world.
The transformation is possible.
Public financing should not really be the constraint, but the question is, do we have the right political leadership? Do we have the right enabling environment to really move quickly into getting the investment that you need on scale? Thank you.
I'll stop here.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
I'm now giving the floor to Professor Madani.
I'm grateful if you can limit to 3 minutes so that we can have a time for the interactive dialogue.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you.
Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you, President.
In January this year, the United Nations University published a report warning about the state of water bankruptcy, declaring that the world has entered the era of global water bankruptcy.
This doesn't mean that every state, every aquifer, every river basin is bankrupt, but it means that we are seeing more and more systems falling into this situation and not being able to escape from it, where problems become chronic and the old normal is gone and they're facing a new issue.
Why is that important? Because the global risk landscape is being impacted.
We learned this the hard way, interruption in one part of the world, the closure of strait of hormones can impact many other things.
The same applies to water resources.
The report a warning and calling on the urgency of paying more attention to water, but also a message of hope that something can be done.
Science is there to support it.
Speaking of urgency, the world's checking accounts are shrinking, the surface water that we have as a result of climate change this year, a super lineal that we expect.
The chicken account is draining, but also the world's savings account, including groundwater and more importantly, maybe glaciers that we are not paying a lot of attention to are also melting.
In a way, the machinery that produces water is being impacted and that's something that we are not paying enough attention to.
While the problem of wash is extremely important and we have to continue to fight for it and we know that we are off track on SDGs, it is also important to understand that if we don't protect that machinery that produces water, then we are in a trouble and the problem of water is the problem of diversity.
The diversity that we have from one nation moving to another, the nature of the problem, the manifestation of water problem can become very different and that makes it hard for the member states to agree on one path forward.
We have to essentially respect that diversity and understand what is going on.
Science is giving us hope because we have an unprecedented capacity to compute, measure, understand, and monitor.
If we want to protect the rights of farmers, if we want to do something about the infrastructure that is now being impacted by the glacier melt by the treaties that are based on the conditions that no longer exist, then the science can be helpful there.
Speaking of hope, the report makes it very clear that of course we are not where we should be.
But in the world that is very fragmented, in the world that we can disagree on many things, water is one of the few topics that we can all agree to its importance.
The science is clear.
It makes it clear that water can be a common denominator for the nations of the global south and north.
It can be a common denominator and a unifier for the political parties within countries, left and right, north and south, water is something very important.
Stars are aligned for the world.
We have the milestones in 2026 and 2028 and 2030.
We have an EO that would bring the issue of water, glaciers and other things into further attention this year so we can take an action on making a change and elevating the importance of water in the global policy agenda because anything that the United Nations stands for is related to water.
Water, as the science tells us, is the medium of delivery when it comes to national security and priorities, when it comes to fulfilling justice and human rights and equity.
It's the mean of delivery when it comes to climate change mitigation, biodiversity loss mitigation and mitigation of desertification and land degradation.
It is there with a lot of potential and it creates immediate impact on the quality of livelihood, on health, and the issue of food security.
Let's recognize that importance and urgency and act together on using science for the good of humanity.
Thank you very much, Professor Madani.
We're going to have a second round.
I'm sorry, it's again going to be 3 minutes, but I'm going to put the first question to miss Masoudi.
You have emphasized the importance of partnerships and partnerships across governments, international organizations, civil society, the private sector.
And as we look ahead to the 2026 and 2028 W conferences, how do you see all partners working together to speed up progress on SDG six and strengthen links with the wider 2030 agenda? Well, thank you very much.
I would like to take two keywords from your question.
Number one is about working together.
That's always very important.
The second one, the question asks about the complementarity.
Let me start the first point of complementarity that is between the UN Water Conference.
20 23rd UN Water Conference, 2026, 2020, it all hold distinguished advantage point.
2023 brought water back to the center of multilateral agenda.
2026 Water Conference is expected to be a conference of action.
Then 2028, it has a strategic point because we are approaching end of 2030.
The role is to follow up progress of 2023, 2026, and then learning from the implementation and preparing for the future of water, including beyond 2030.
In this sense, the three conference are not independent one to another.
They are co dependent one to another and are considered unison.
So the second is on complimentarity among actors.
Of course, colleagues, countries have the lead role in laying plans, priorities, as well as identify where more support is needed.
The UN agency, together with other partners, private sector academia, financial institution, Seafl Society, and many other organization must focus on coherently supporting countries in accelerating water action.
They should not only be invited to observe, they should be engaged as partners in shaping and delivering solution.
And my last point is on women.
Women is very important.
Women are among the people who are disproportionately affected by water challenges.
More importantly, when women are involved in the designing, management, the governance of water sector, its effectiveness and sustainability increase by up to seven times.
Involving and investing in women, in, I'm sorry, in water sector is investing in effective, impactful, and lasting water action.
Less than 3 minutes.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Wonderful.
I'm turning now to Mr.
Ss.
You said that the major challenge was under investment and earlier this year, the World Bank launched the Water forward Initiative with the ambitious goal of helping 1 billion people achieve water security by 2030.
This initiative recognizes obviously the need to mobilize more finance, but also to strengthen policies, institutions, and governance.
I'm wondering how can we bring these efforts together to unlock the investment and action needed to achieve SDG six? Thank you very much, Madam Auditor.
I'll try to be within 3 minutes.
First of all, I think the Water forward launch at the IMF World Bank Group Spring meetings this year is a historic event because for the first time, all the multilateral development banks and a number of international financial institutions have come together to make water a priority.
And the Wafward launch is not just a statement, it is a statement with a very clear set of targets.
Each of the multilateral development bank, which is part of the Water Forward Coalition, has committed a numerical target, which is the number of people to benefit from water security programs by 2030.
For the World Bank Group, we have committed to reach 400 billion people by 2030.
In a business as usual scenario, we would have reached let's say less than 200 people.
So it is more than double in terms of what we would have done otherwise.
We have commitments from nine other multilateral development banks and a number of IFIs and that already goes to more than 1 billion people to reach by 2030.
In the dollar figures, if you look at back of the envelope calculation, this should translate into more than three times the normal investments these MDBs and IFIs would have done.
Clearly, on the money side, on the capital side, there is going to be a lot more capital available in the sector.
But as we all know, more money will not solve the problem.
I think what we really need to begin with is what we call a country owned country led national water compacts.
These compacts are essentially our government's own political documents, government's own vision for the water security and access, government's own ambition in terms of how many people and how fast you want to accelerate progress on SDGs.
And based on those water compact related commitments, then you bring MDBs and IFIs and other partners on board.
This is where we will come in with that commitment underwater forward.
Clearly, The Water compact by the countries is a starting point, which is essentially, it has to be owned and led by the government.
No matter how much international community talks about water, unless governments make water a political priority, we've not seen progress in any country, to be honest.
Clearly, that is my first message to you.
The good news is that when the water forward was launched in Washington, DC on April 15th, we had 15 countries announcing their water compacts, the Ministers of Finance, together with the Ministers of Economy and Water.
And America in many cases, prime ministers and we are seeing currently 47 other countries preparing their water compacts, which will be launched at the UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi.
There's a lot of momentum, there's a lot of excitement.
These are not World Bank Group documents.
These are government documents prepared by the government system.
That's my first point.
The second point is scalable solutions.
In fact, the SDG progress report itself talks about scaling what is already working.
Every single country in this room, I can tell you, there are some good practices, and we the MDBs in the IFIs, want to be part of that scaling up effort through a multi year multi phase programmatic support to help you scale up what you're doing really well, but also draw lessons and experiences from other countries who are doing something similar and better.
I talked about Saves in Brazil.
Unless you have smart water utilities which are run professionally, which are operationally and financially sustainable, you're not going to get investments.
Saves is able to mobilize billions of private investment to give 3,600 connections every day.
There's no other utility performing that scale.
Scalable solutions, we are developing for all the water related investments.
I don't have time to go into details, but we will be sharing a lot with you at the country level for the country water platforms which are engaged in producing these water compacts.
Number three, which is the most important part is the financial engineering.
So this is where I think MDBs and IFIs have a very unique comparative advantage.
We work on public sector financing, but we also work with markets.
I talked to you about Angola.
Angola PPP is coming out of the market one after another, Brazil coming out of the market, Brazil the best to work with IFC and the World Bank and IDB for 20 years before they reach the stage.
This will not happen overnight.
So essentially, creating utilities and water institutions which are operationally and financially sustainable, and how do they start accessing private and commercial financing? We do have the tools.
What is important is that we use public financing in a much more catalytic manner and use that to leverage more private and commercial financing.
It is happening in Angola, it's happening in Senegal, it's happening in Azerbijan.
It is happening in Saudi Arabia.
It is happening in India.
It is happening in Bangladesh, it is happening in Indonesia.
It is happening in Vietnam, where I was there last week.
The essential point being that there are good practices happening in many countries in the world.
Many you're doing on your own, many you are doing the support of the MDBs and IFIs, but we want to help you scale up in a way that we access more commercial intermity financing.
My last point is accountability.
The commitment of the MDBs and IFIs who are part of Water Forward Coalition, the progress we make on these targets we have announced will be reported regularly in a very transparent manner.
The first Progress Report of Water Forward will be at the UN Water Conference, where we will share how much progress each MDB and IFI has made on the targets they have announced.
For us, it is 400 billion people, and we would like to be able to say by the end of this calendar year where exactly we are on this.
Internally, in my own system in World Bank Group, this is reviewed by the World Bank president himself.
So this is not a target for the sake of it.
This is a target to essentially make sure that the World Bank group leans forward in water forward, works with every single developing country where the World Bank Group is present, works as an MDB system, not each multilateral bank going on its own, but we work as a system to support the government's own Water Compact implementation.
And I really hope that those of you who are in this room can carry this message to your governments, that the MDB system is ready to engage with you, to support you.
It's not about lending more money.
It is about knowledge.
It is about expertise.
It is about access to market.
Who says there is no money in the world? There's a lot of liquidity in the world, trillions of liquid assets available.
The question is, there are no bankable projects and the logic to bankability is policies, regulations, smart governance, smart tariff, and so on and so forth.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Now the final question is to Professor Madani.
In your current role as Director of the UN University Institute for Water Environment and Health, you bring science into government decision making.
We know that water is closely linked to food, energy, ecosystems, and climate change.
How from your perspective, Professor, can governments make better use of science and evidence to support policies that will bring these sectors together and accelerate progress on SDG six? Thank you for the question.
As I mentioned in my previous remarks, we are in the midst of the fourth Industrial Revolution with an unprecedented capacity to measure, compute and use remote sensing and other tools to understand what is going around us.
We can understand in remote areas of the world where things are going wrong and what is happening.
There is no excuse anymore to say that we don't have the evidence.
If governments are open to the uptake of science, then we can think about disrupting the dominant narratives and thinking differently and coming up with new framings that point us to the right problems.
The problem of water is the problem of diversity.
We go from one location to another.
Things are very different.
We also go along the spectrum of water from the moment where we have the glaciers from the point of the glaciers to the point that water is getting into the ocean, problems are very different.
If you don't recognize the whole supply chain, the whole value chain, then we don't understand what is going wrong.
If you don't understand that, yes, we don't have glaciers within Earth's territories in a certain location in the world, but glaciers are the pulse of the planet.
If something is wrong with them, the whole world is going to suffer.
Then we can change that.
We have done it for some other spaces, but not enough for water.
That's I think the problem.
If we don't understand the fact that 70% of the world's water is in the good hands of farmers who rely on water for supporting their livelihood and food and so on, then we don't understand that governments need to provide water to the point to them even in the state of water bankruptcy as long as there is no alternative mode of livelihood.
Why finance and the transfer of technology becomes important.
That's why our view of the farmers would change because we see them as the saviors of the planet, not the ones that are destroying the planet.
That's why we understand that the path to a more equitable and sustainable future is crossing through the empowerment of farmers.
That is something that the global South likes.
That is something that the farmers and the rural communities of the world deserve.
All of these are in science, yet we have um, essentially, allow the political lens to attract these things and look at what the science and the evidence is telling us, not what we essentially want to believe and assume.
Technology is there, hope is there, findings are there, evidence is there.
It's just that these moments and momentum that we have created can help us take the best of science into the policy circles and let the decision making be more inclusive and equal.
Thank you so much.
Now turning to lead discussions.
Firstly, miss Margaret Minor, Executive Officer, Women in Water and Sanitation Association, who will also speak on behalf of the women's major group, and I'm pleased to ask you to limit to 3 minutes.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Sir, Excellencies, distinguished delegates.
My name is Margaret Minor from Kenya and I'm honored to speak on behalf of the women's major group.
As a young girl growing up in Kenya, I carried water from rs before and after school.
That experience shaped my life and it taught me a lesson that has guided my work in Kenya's water sector.
SDG six is simply not one goal among 17.
It is an enabler of the entire 2030 agenda.
For this reason, the women's major group calls for three urgent actions.
First, recognize water and sanitation as a fundamental human rights by ensuring that services are safe, are available, accessible, affordable, and sustainably managed for everyone.
Second, place women and girls at the center of water governance in investing gender responsive watch services, including menstrual health and hygiene, strengthening women's leadership and ensuring inclusive services that leave no one behind.
That significantly increase in investment in climates watch systems and recognize SDG six as the foundation for achieving better health, education, food security, gender equality, climate resilience, and sustainable economic development.
These actions matter because water and sanitation are about far more than infrastructure.
They are both health, dignity, equality, and opportunity.
Climate change is intensifying droughts, floods and scarcity, placing even gender burdens on women and girls who continue to spend countless hours collecting water while facing increased health and safety risks from inadequate sanitation.
Women are not only beneficiaries of watch services, they are leaders, professionals, innovators, and decision makers whose knowledge and lived experiences are essential for sustainable water governance.
Governments financial institutions and development partners must therefore significantly increase investment in universal climate resilience and gender responsive watch services.
The cost of inaction will far exceed the cost of investing today.
My own journey from carrying 20 little Jenkins as a village girl to serving as a supporter professional and utility leader is leaving evidence that investments in safe water, sanitation, education, and women's leadership can transform lives and communities.
Water does not change lives simply because it flows through pipes.
It changes lives because it opens the door to health, education, dignity, equality, and opportunity.
Yet, somewhere today, another girl is beginning the same journey I started many years ago.
Let us ensure that by 2030, her future is defined not by the distance she walks to fresh water, but by the opportunities that safe, available, affordable, and sustainable water and sanitation make.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Our last discussion is Mr.
Lafing Lee, Director of the Land and Water Division at FAO.
You have the floor.
Thank you, Madam Moderator, Mr.
President of COC, Excellency, Du delegates, colleagues.
Thank you for convening this forum at a decisive moment.
Water is becoming the defining resource challenge of our time.
It underpins food production, energy, economic growth, and healthy ecosystems.
Yet progress on SDG six is lagging.
At the current rates, the world will not achieve SDG six by 2030.
Today, 2.4 billion people live in voltage stressed countries.
Floods and droughts are becoming more frequent and more severe.
Rivers lakes and aquifers are under increasing pressure while access to water remains deeply unequal.
These challengeed days cannot be solved by one set alone.
The water energy food ecosystem nexus and integrated water resource management of practical approaches to managing competing demand.
Yet neither will succeed unless agriculture is part of the solution.
Agriculture accounts for 72% of the global threshold withdrawals.
It is therefore where better voter management can have the greatest impact.
Behind that figure are hundreds of millions of farmers, herders, and irrigators, the people who make vo decisions every day on every continent.
Three prior actions deserve greater attention.
First, improve water productivity across agri food systems.
The objective is not simply to use less water, but to produce more food, improve livelihood, and protect water resources.
This requires better planning, better technologies, and reliable data.
A support members in informing sound policies and investments through global data tools and monitoring platforms, including Aquastt and VAPA.
Members are already using this data to target to target irrigation investment where returns in food and voltage are highest.
Second, investment in resilience before crisis deepen, expanding rainwater harvesting and storage, water reuse, drought resilient crops, and efficient irrigation systems.
This will help countries managing increasing climate variability while protecting food production.
Third, strengthen inclusive governance systems at decision making levels.
Farmers, patrols, women, youth, and indigenous peoples shall have a meaningful role in the sustainable management of water.
Secure and equitable water access is not only a matter of fairness, it is essential for productivity, resilience, and long term stewardship.
Water connects every sustainable goals.
But if we want to faster progress, we must overcome the siloed thinking and focus on their greatest opportunities lie.
Better water management in agriculture is one of them.
FAA will continue to work with members to advance integrated solutions for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life leaving no one behind.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Mr.
Lee.
I'd like to thank all the panelists and the lead discussions for their contributions.
Mr.
President, I think we have heard that water is not yet at the center stage.
There are many challenges, but at the same time, a lot of optimism and momentum, we have science.
We have examples of political commitment, investment, partnerships, and good practices that we can share and scale.
It's very clear that SDG six cuts across the entire 2030 agenda and as we just heard, water changes lives.
So I hand back to you, Mr.
President.
Thank you.
I thank the moderator, miss Vagel for conducting the panel discussion.
We'll now proceed to the interactive discussion.
Delegations wishing to intervene are invited to request the floor by pressing the button on the microphone console.
I also take the opportunity to remind participants that the time limit for the intervention from the floor is two to 3 minutes.
Also, bear in mind that the time limit may need to be adjusted downwards depending on the number of the request for the floor.
In case the speakers exceed the time limit, the microphone will be automatically deactivated.
I apologize in advance if speakers are cut off.
This measure is being taken to ensure that all the speakers can deliver their statements in the limited time available for the discussions.
To ensure proper interpretations, delegations are asked to speak at a normal pace and to provide a written copy of the statements by email to statements at.org, at least 2 hours, not possible, probably in advance of delivery.
And full portions of the longer intervention can be submitted to the Secretariat.
With this, now I would like to invite the Honorable Minister for Water and Sanitation of South Africa.
Thank you much.
Mr.
President.
As South Africa, we really appreciate a comprehensive report by the Secretary-General.
We commit ourselves as South Africa to ensure that access to water and sanitation in the country is accelerated.
We have the Human Rights Commission, which is a watchdog of government in ensuring that we adhere to what we have committed to do.
We also do our bi annual Statistician General report, who goes in each and every area in South Africa to check the access for water.
Notably, government cannot do this alone.
We must involve all stakeholders in water.
But what is more important is to make an environment to be enabling environment for financial markets as well as finances to be able to invest in water.
But government must cut the red tapes that always hinder progress on the matter.
Investment for water, financing and technology.
We must always put our front foot forward and we are ready to do that.
There is a political will in South Africa in ensuring that the strides that we've done up to this far, when we hosted Africa in Water Investment Summit in August 2025, all heads of state committed to that.
On the 14 and 15 of February 2026, we presented the reported in the African Union.
And all heads of state still committed to the acceleration of water to all.
When my sister was speaking here from Kenya, we share the same background.
I'm coming from a rural area in a village where there is no clean water.
I grew up fishing water.
Even today, being a minister is still fishing water, that is a clear display that especially in rural areas were unable to give people water at the time that is needed.
We are now accelerating water through groundwater to serve the unserved communities, especially in rural areas.
We're looking forward for further engagement in South Africa, we are ready to be reviewed and to review others.
That's a way to go.
If we review one another, then we'll make it better for this world, for globally.
We're also looking forward to Cochin with France as we go to UN Water Conference in December.
Our road map has been implemented.
Thank you very much, President.
We really appreciate.
I thank Her Excellency, Pemi Mazdina Minister for Water and Sanitation of South Africa.
Now, I give the floor to His Excellency, Mr.
James Brown, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage of Ireland.
PIX ensures access to water and sanitation for all.
It's interrelated with other sustainable development goals, for example, SDG nine, industry innovation, and infrastructure.
SDG three, good health and well being in SDG 11 sustainable cities and communities are dependent on the provision of water and sanitation.
In addition, without clean water and sanitation, there is little possibility of reaching other sustainable development goals, including sustainable development goal five or gender equality.
Ireland aligns itself with the statement of the European Union and its members, which highlights the strong interlinkages between water, climate, food, and biodiversity, among others.
We wish to offer the following in a national capacity, emphasizing our deepening commitment to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal six.
Ireland has committed to acceding to the UN Water Convention and the Protocol on Water and Health during the lifetime of the Irish presidency of the European Council.
We aim to accede to these multilateral environmental agreements by 2026 UN Water Conference in December, highlighting Ireland's commitment to the international cooperation and the achievement of SDG six, sending a strong political signal on the importance of transboundary cooperation on water.
Ireland looks forward to 2026 UN Water conference contributing to strengthening the global water agenda in the coming decade.
In Ireland, we engage in a multi stakeholder water governance integrating technical and policy based expertise to deliver water policy.
Including alignment with the EU water resilience strategy.
This strategy aims to address vulnerabilities in water supply, including risks from drought and from pollution.
Ireland is supplying nature based solutions, including the integrated catchment management and natural water retention measures to enhance water quality, biodiversity, and flood resilience.
Progress towards sustainable development goal six is off track.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025 highlights that although global water and sanitation have improved, billions of people remain without access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation.
The report notes the achieving universal coverage by 2030 will require doubling the current rate of progress.
Measures addressing the water, energy, foods, ecosystems nexus, and promoting integrated water resource management are of the utmost importance.
Ireland is committed committed to leveraging interlinkages between sustainable development goals to advance the delivery of sustainable development goal six.
Ireland has commenced the accession processes for the UN Water Convention and a protocol on water and health.
Thank you.
I thank this excellence Minister for the Housing, Local Government and Heritage of Ireland.
Now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Namibia speaking on behalf of the Transboundary Water cooperations Coalition.
Thank you, Mr.
Chair.
Transboundary water cooperation is among the most off track dimensions of SDG six, yet it determines the success of the entire 2030 agenda.
Transboundary basins span 153 countries and host 40% of the world's population.
Yet only 43 states have operational arrangements covering most of their shared waters.
Climate impacts do not respect borders, and only 14% of transboundary basins have joint adaptation strategies.
Only cooperation secures water stability, peace and prosperity for all.
Cooperation delivers.
In shared basins, competing cross border needs for drinking water, energy, food, and ecosystems collide.
Only joint institutions can effectively manage trade offs and maximize benefits.
Decades of collaboration on the Senegal River and Iapur between Brazil and Paraguay have advanced water access, energy security, and drought resilience.
The two UN conventions on transboundary water cooperation, and more specifically, the 1992 UN Water Convention provides a proven global legal framework to establish joint bodies, exchange data, and prevent disputes.
Cooperation makes water investment possible.
Clear agreed upon rules and functioning joint bodies, reduce risks for finances, unlocking lending, that no single riparian country could mobilize.
Often, having an adequate legal institutional foundation enables investments, but seed investments can also help advance such institutional foundations.
Basin organizations must be recognized and adequately resourced as vital catalyst catalyzers of investment and development.
The 2023 UN Water Conference catalyzed momentum on transboundary water cooperation.
The 2026 and 2028 conferences must sustain and accelerate it.
Under interactive dialogue, D, for cooperation, the proposed flagship initiatives can galvanize action on the basins and aquifer cooperation, drive measurable implementation outcomes, and encourage accession to both UN water conventions.
By doing so, we will strengthen continuity across UN water conferences and anchor shared waters in the development I thank the Permanent representative of Nab Pia speaking on behalf of the Transboundary Water Cooperations Coalition.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of European Union speaking on behalf of the EU and its member states.
Mr.
President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, I have the honor to speak on behalf of the EU and its member states.
The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Armenia, Monaco, and San Marino align themselves with this statement.
Water is at the heart of sustainable development as it is a powerful connector across the SDGs.
Yet progress on SDG six remains off track as we have heard today.
Accelerating implementation requires not only greater ambition, but more integrated, better finance, and more cooperative action across sectors and across borders.
Mr.
President, for the EU and its member states, delivering on SDG six means advancing water resilience as a foundation for the entire 2030 agenda.
This is reflected in the EU water resilience strategy, which among other things, recognizes the interdependence of water, food, energy, and ecosystems.
In doing so, we contribute directly to SDG six while also supporting progress across other SDGs.
We also recognize that financing remains a critical challenge.
We need to mobilize more public and private capital for resilient water and sanitation services, for ecosystem restoration, for water efficient technologies, and for climate adaptation.
But financing must also be matched by enabling policy frameworks, stronger institutions, workforce capacity, and better project pipelines.
Transboundary water cooperation is another indispensable pillar of progress.
More than 60% of the world's freshwater flows through shared basins.
Effective cooperation across borders is therefore not optional.
It is essential for resilience, peace, stability, and sustainable development.
Mr.
President, the 2026 UN Water Conference will be a critical milestone to maintain political momentum and to strengthen accountability for implementation.
It should help translate commitments into measurable action, promote scalable solutions, and reinforce coherence between the water agenda and the wider 2030 agenda.
The conference should be inclusive of all stakeholders and we hope that it will be a stepping stone towards a more structured engagement on water at the United Nations.
The EU and its member states remain committed to working with partners to accelerate progress on SDG six through integrated water management, stronger resilience, inclusive governance, and enhanced transboundary water cooperation.
Water must be recognized not only as a sectoral priority, but as a strategic enabler of sustainable development, climate resilience, and security.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of the European Union speaking on behalf of the EU.
Now I give the floor to the Vice Minister of Integration and Development of Brazil to be followed by Canada, Azerbijan, India.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
Excellency delegates, ladies and gentlemen, Brazil fully endorses the premise of this review.
Water and sanitation are not sectorial issues.
They are the foundations open with development dispute or denied.
Ac to the 2030 agenda, the global picture of SGD six is sobering.
No target is on track.
2.2 billion people still lack safely drink water, 3.5 billion lack safely sanitation.
Progress is happening, but at the pace that cannot close the gaps by 2030.
We need to be direct about what that means.
The failure of SGD six would not be failure of water sector, but indeed a development failure.
Brazil represents a voluntary national review at this forum, and we do so honestly.
We have made meaningfully advanced domestically as of 2023.
98% of Brazil's populations has access to safely managed drinking water.
We have expanded our sanitation coverage and improved water quality monitoring across more than 4,000 points in our territory.
UN W recognized Brazil for its acceleration progress into SGD six.
We take note that recognition with satisfaction, but we also take note of what remains to be done.
Only 60% of our population has access to safely managed sanitation.
Holy half of the domestic wastewater we generate is discharged without adequate treatment.
Structural inequalities persist between urban and rural areas, between regions, between racial groups in the north, I thank the Vice Minister of Frail.
Excellency distributed delegates.
Now we got more than 60 delegations requesting for the floor.
In view of this, we will limit the time 1.5 minutes so as to accommodate more delegation to have the opportunity to speak.
With this now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Canada to be followed by Azerbian Indian.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
C, clean and safe water is fundamental to life, health, and prosperity.
While Canada is fortunate to hold some of the world's largest freshwater reserves, this advantage does not make us immune to risk.
Climate change, pollution, and aging infrastructure continue to place pressure on water quality and availability.
Ensuring clean water and sanitation for all remains a national priority.
Protect public health, Canada works collaboratively across levels of government to establish national drinking water quality guidelines and ensure consistent protection while respecting local responsibilities.
One of the clearest lessons from Canada's experience is the importance of equity and inclusion.
Improving access to safe drinking water and sanitation in First Nations communities remains an urgent priority, requiring not only infrastructure investment, but also meaningful partnerships, indigenous leadership, operational capacity, and community driven solutions.
We have SG six is inseparable from SDG ten on reducing inequalities.
By working together across goals, sectors, and borders, we can protect freshwater ecosystems, ensure access to safe water and sanitation, and I thank the Distinguished representative of Canada.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Azerbijan.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
Azerbijan has undertaken significant measures to improve water security and strengthening national resilience.
Azerbijan hosting 13 session of World Urban Forum in Baku in May in 2026 further demonstrate our country's commitment to sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urban development.
The discussion held under the theme of housing the world, safe and resilient cities and communities re confirms that sustainable cities cannot be achieved without reliable water supply, effective sanitation, climate resilient infrastructure, and integrated urban planning.
At the host of Cop 29, Azerbijan has consistently emphasized that climate action must be practical, inclusive, and development oriented.
Water security is one of the clearest areas where climate policy and sustainable development objective convege.
Azerbijan considered SDG six not only as a water and sanitation goal, but as a foundation for climate resilience, food security, public health, sustainable cities, and regional cooperation.
Importantly, the Baku dialogue has continued beyond Cop 29 with meetings in Bonn and Cop 30 in Balm supported by UNEP, UNIC and WMO, advanced practical water climate action, including data resilience, NDC and NAP.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Azerbijan.
Now I give the approach to the distinguished representative of India to be followed by the Internal Union for Coations for Nature, Portugal, Ukraine, Mexico, Nepal.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
Progress on SDG six has a multiplier effect across food security, health, energy, biodiversity, and resilient cities.
Yet implementation remains uneven and must be accelerated through nationally determined solutions.
India's experience demonstrates that political commitment, public investment, and community ownership can deliver transformative results.
As Mr.
Also highlighted, through LGN Mission, more than 150 million rural households have gained access to tap water connections, complemented by the Swatch Padoth mission, which has significantly expanded sanitation coverage and improved public health outcomes, particularly for women and girls.
These efforts have been reinforced by scientific monitoring, digital platforms, and local participation, illustrating the importance of a strong science policy interface.
As we prepare for the forthcoming UN Water Conference, our focus should remain on accelerating implementation rather than creating new processes.
Adequate means of implementation remain indispensable.
Developed countries must fulfill their commitments on finance, technology development, and transfer, and capacity building so that no one is left behind.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of India.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of International Union for the conservation of nature.
Thank you, Chair.
Excellency distinguished delegates.
As we have heard today, SDG six is off track.
This is not only a financing or technical problem, it is at its core, a governance problem.
The lack of a comprehensive governance architecture for water leads to fragmentation, low accountability, and poor continuity.
This is why IUCN is calling on member states to launch an intergovernmental process toward a global framework for water governance and action, a voluntary, non legally binding framework that would provide three things that are currently missing.
First, regular intergovernmental meetings to maintain political direction and momentum on water.
Second, a shared implementation and review architecture with accountability mechanisms.
And third, a financing pillar to provide systems oriented financing.
The December 2026 UN Water Conference is the moment to launch this process.
SDG six needs not only acceleration, but transformation into a durable architecture for how we govern the global water cycle.
Thank you.
I thank the representative of IUCN.
Now I give the floor to the district representative of Portugal.
Excellencies, Portugal aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union.
It is widely recognized that with less than four years remaining to achieve the 2030 agenda, SDG six remains off track.
Turning this trend around requires stronger implementation, science based policies and integrated water resource management.
At national level, we continue to strengthen the sustainable management of our water resources through the national strategy water that unites, promoting improved governments, water efficiency, reuse and climate adaptation.
Cooperation also remains central to our approach, especially transboundary cooperation.
Furthermore, the 23 30 agenda and its SDGs are a priority of our development cooperation strategy.
In 2025, Portugal reinforced its support to the water and sanitation sector, reaching 4 million through projects in Mozambique, Angola, and Cab Verde.
We support stronger water governments, climate resilience, and improved wastewater management.
Looking ahead, Portugal remains fully committed to the success of the 2026 and 2028 United Nations Water conferences.
They are important milestones to accelerate the implementation of SDG six.
Portugal stands ready to work with all partners to advance sustainable and inclusive water management, ensuring that no one is left behind.
Thank you.
I thank the Dist representative of Portugal.
Now I give the floor to the D representative of Ukraine.
Thank you.
Ukraine remains firmly committed to implementation of SDG six and its targets.
However, Russia's war has become one of the graves threats to water security in Europe in recent history.
Russian missiles and drones deberately target Ukraine's water infrastructure, destroying water supply facilities, pumping station, drainage systems, and related critical infrastructure.
As a result, residents of dozens of Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages are repeatedly left without access to drinking water and sanitation.
Military activities have caused widespread contamination of both surface and groundwater.
Pollution from heavy metals, oil products, toxic chemicals, and hazardous substances enters rivers and aquifers following missile strikes, explosions, and attacks on industrial facilities.
One of the most devastating examples of Russia's environmental crimes remains the destruction of the Kaka hydroelectric power plant dam.
This deliberate act caused one of the largest environmental disasters in Europe in decades.
Despite these enormous challenges, Ukraine remain committed to building a modern resilient and sustainable water sector.
We highly value the support provided by our international partners and United Nations agencies in restoring water infrastructure, addressing environmental damage, and supporting communities affected by the war.
Ukraine stands ready to continue sharing its experience, strengthening international cooperation and advancing the implementation of SDG sixs.
I thank the Dist representative of Ukraine.
Now I give the floor to the Dist representative of Mexico.
Much.
Thank you, President.
For Mexico, ensuring the sustainable management of water is an indispensable condition for achieving the 2030 agenda.
We have to strengthen the integrated management of water with a long term vision based on sustainability and rights.
Since 2018, Mexico incorporated into its National Development Plan a systemic and cross cutting vision of sustainable development, placing the human right to water at the center of public policy.
On this foundation, our national legal framework, supported by the General Water Law, the National Water Law, and the National Agreement on the human right to water and sustainability.
Strength is a model aimed at promoting the efficient and transfer to use of loss.
We are modernizing water infrastructure through satellite monitoring, telemetry for major industrial water users, and real time water quality monitoring.
This strengthens the oversight of water extraction, addresses aquifer oil exploitation and contributes to the recovery of environmental flows.
Our policies also incorporate an intersectional and gender responsive approach, recognizing that greater participation in decision making strengthens water governance.
We also continue to promote investment in both the conventional and green water infrastructure, supported by innovative financing mechanisms for sanitation and technological modernization.
Lastly, we're convinced that achieving SDG six will only be possible through strong partnerships among governments, the private sector, academia, and society.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Mexico.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Nepal to be followed by Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Slovenia, Netherlands, and Holsi.
Thank you, Mr.
Chair, Excellency.
For Nepal, SDG six reflects both our development priority and climate change imperative.
Our rivers fed by the Himalayan glaciers are vital not only for the country, but for the entire South Asian region.
Our national policy frameworks prioritize universal access, climate resilience systems, water set protection and standard regulatory institutions.
Nepal has achieved over 95 and 96% coverage in basic sanitation and water supply respectively, while 61% people access safely managed sanitation.
The VAS Initiative has significantly reduced water bnages and improved health outcomes and learning environments, particularly for women and girls.
However, geographic difficulty, urban ruler disparities, limited infrastructure, and resource constraints continue to hinder equitable access, particularly in remote and mountainous regions.
Climate change is further exacerbating uncertainties in water availability while rapid urbanization is placing additional strain on water supply and sanitation systems.
Looking ahead, Mr.
Chair, Nepal emphasized the need for stent international cooperation, enhanced concessional blended and climate financing, and technology transfer to support water and sanitation system.
We call for a scale up investment in climate resilient infrastructure, integrated river basin management and nature based solutions to subcut freshwater ecosystem.
Finally, Nepal sees great potential in leveraging the 2026 2021 conference to advance more coherent global water architecture, partnership, and UN wide support.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Nepal.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Dominican Republic.
Thank you very much, President, for giving me the floor.
SDG six, it reminds us that water is not only a natural resource, but also the basis for health, food security, economic stability, as well as peace among our nations.
Without a clean accessible water, no objective of the 2030 agenda can be reached fully.
For a Dominican Republic as an island developing state, this dependency acquires especial importance.
We are facing many vulnerabilities in the face of climate change that directly affects the availability and quality of our water resources, and that is why we have advanced the Pact for Water 2021 2036, an institutional mechanism that made it possible to mobilize significant investment in infrastructure, water infrastructure in sanitation, and also environmental monitoring, strengthening a coordination among the different actors in that sector.
We have also made progress in developing adaptation strategies directed to strengthening resilience in our more vulnerable communities.
The Dominican Republic reiterates, once again, its commitment to continue working hand in hand with the international community to accelerate compliance with SDG six, convinced that only through cooperation will be able to achieve it.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Dominican Republic.
Now I give the floor to the permanent representative of Indonesia.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
Indonesia focuses on three priorities.
First, governance.
Through the 2025, 2045 road map of water, energy, food nexus, Indonesia is strengthening evidence based planning and coordination across sectors.
This includes ensuring private sector participation to mobilize investment.
Second, communities.
Solutions must work for communities on the ground.
Community based initiatives are therefore vital to bring services closer to the people, strengthen local ownership, and sustain behavioral change.
Third, inclusion to ensure meaningful involvement of all stakeholders in planning, delivery, and monitoring.
This includes the very special role of women.
Looking ahead, Indonesia will use the UN Water conferences to mobilize cooperation, financing, and solutions for SDG six.
Thank you.
I thank the permanent representative of Indonesia.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Slovenia.
Mr.
Chair, S is pleased to report that at our national level, the implementation of the SDG six is progressing well.
The overall state of water resources in our water rich country is good.
Access to drinking water and sanitation is universal in accordance with the human right to drinking water which we en shrink into our Constitution.
Water quality remains high and pressures on water resources are relatively low.
These results reflect our longstanding commitment to integrated water resources management and environmental protection.
In our experience, accelerating progress requires integrated policies that combine water management, ecosystem protection, and climate adaptation.
We must strengthen scientific cooperation, improve monitoring, and promote innovative technologies.
Equally important is the recognition that water is closely linked with health, food, and energy security, climate action, and biodiversity.
On by fully leveraging these interlinkages through coherent and well integrated policies can we maximize the benefit of our actions.
Would like to emphasize that particular attention should be given to transboundary water cooperation.
Shared waters require shared responsibility.
Since 2024, Slovenia has had the honor of chairing the Bureau of the UNIC Sea Water Convention.
Building on our tradition of cooperation, we are promoting climate resilience in transboundary basins, innovating monitoring technology.
I thank the distinguished representative of Slovenia.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Excellencies and distinguished delegates.
My name is I Shata and I'm the UN Youth representative on sustainable development for the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Today, I will share a message on behalf of the youth.
Water is the foundation of life.
It nourishes our soil, sustains ecosystems, and connects every living being on this planet.
Yet often it is fused as a resource to be managed or exploited.
Right in the source of life that connects us all, especially with global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss, we cannot overlook the fundamental role of water in addressing these interconnected challenges.
That is why young people are advocating for nature based solutions because we know that a sustainable future requires science solutions at work in harmony with nature rather than against it.
Initiatives such as Room for the River and a Dutch Delta Program show that nature based approaches can strengthen long term resilience.
Finally, we should also remind ourselves that water is not something we just see outside.
It is also within us.
The human body is made up of water and without it, none of us can survive.
That is why sustaining water is not the responsibility of one generation alone.
It requires all of humanity to be aware and protect it.
Because in the end, protecting water means protecting life itself.
Thank you.
I thank the District Representative of Netherlands.
Now I give the floor to the District representative of Holy to be followed by Algeria, Cechia, Us States Republic of Moldova, and Georgia.
Mr.
President, safe drinking water and sanitation is essential for the full enjoyment of the right to life.
Yet billions of people still lack access to safe, reliable water and sanitation.
This inequality is not just a development challenge, but a profound injustice that violates human dignity.
Water is neither a commodity nor an economic resource to be exploited.
Rather, it's a common good and a shared gift and trust to the entire human family.
This requires renewed urgency and scale up support for developing countries, particularly for those in special situation by providing increased financial resources, technology transfer, and capacity building.
However, achieving SDG six requires more than just technical solution.
It necessitates a profound cultural and ethical transformation.
This approach calls for a renewed sense of responsibility at all levels.
The upcoming 2026 Water Conference offers a timely opportunity to advance these efforts.
President, safeguarding water means safeguarding life itself.
Recognizing water as a common good means moving beyond narrow interests and to act in a spirit of solidarity, justice for the benefit of current and future generation.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of holy.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Algeria.
Thank you, Mr.
President and thank you to all the panelists.
President, the global challenges highlighted in the report regarding water stress and the deterioration of water ecosystems demonstrate that SDG six cannot be achieved in isolation, but rather through an integrated approach that takes into account national priorities.
In this regard, Algeria made water security a national priority in our sustainable development vision.
Connection to drinking water exceeds 98%.
We invested in desalination through 19 salination station at a capacity exceeding 3.75 million cubic meter daily.
We also expanded treatment and use of wastewater, as well as efficiency of water supply networks and an integrated management system to ensure sustainability.
Accordingly, we believe that accelerating progress requires three main elements.
One, mobilizing financing that is sustainable and innovative to develop water infrastructure.
Second, enhancing technology transfer and capacity building, especially in desalination and reuse and digitization and third, further international and regional cooperation to exchange expertise and intra efficiency.
We look forward to working to enhance partnerships, mobilizing investment, and supporting innovative solutions that ensure water security for all in line with the 2030 agenda, not to leave anyone behind.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Algeria.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of CA.
Excellencies, distinguished delegates.
Water is one of the fundamental conditions for health, economic development, and the stability of our societies.
Yet this essential resource is increasingly under pressure.
The Czech Republic is a country that shares all major river basins with its neighbors.
For us, cooperation is not optional.
It is a necessity.
We are increasingly facing the impacts of climate change.
Longer periods of drought alternate with extreme rainfall.
This requires a shift in how we manage water.
We promote nature based solutions, restore wetlands, and support measures that slow down runoff and increase natural infiltration.
We also continue to invest in modern water infrastructure, improve water efficiency, and protect water quality.
Our experience only confirms what we already know at the global level.
We need to protect and restore water related ecosystems.
We need to ensure universal access to safe water and sanitation for all.
That is why clean water and sanitation are among the priority areas of the czech development assistance and humanitarian aid.
International platforms such as the United Nations Water Conference and other frameworks provide valuable opportunities to promote water resilience, encourage cooperation and translate global commitments to practical action.
Water connects us all across borders, sectors, and across generations.
If we fail on water, we will fail on the entire 2030 agenda, and if we succeed, we will unlock progress across all SDGs.
Thank you.
I thank the distingued representative Paul Chica.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of UNICEF.
I'm very glad to be here today.
Too often water and sanitation are threatened as outcome of development are the prerequisites of development.
This is a costly mistake.
A community without reliable water cannot sustain health gain, a school without sanitation cannot offer safe learning environment, especially for adolescent girls, a health facility without water and sanitation, hygiene, environmental cleaning, and waste management cannot provide quality care.
ACT expanding without inclusive sanitation planning risk of creating a new vulnerability and pollution zone and disease transmission area.
Development that does not connect to water sanitation is a development with a weak pulse.
This is why we are working together with many partners to ensure that we connect the pulse.
In the same time, when water systems are not resilient, such as shock rapidly escalating into humanitarian crisis, disrupting AN cell service undermine children right.
So the new NDS watch NDS that we have created aim to support government and partner to ensure that those risks are addressed, and also alongside with the joint monitoring program, we are creating a more robust and also risk informed decision making process.
Thank you, Sac Thank you, President.
I thank the District Representative Unicef.
Now, I give the floor to the District representative of Moldova.
Thank you, President.
I have the honor to speak on behalf of the Republic of Moldova in its capacity as chair of the meeting of the parties to the protocol on Water and Health.
The protocol jointly serviced by UEC and WHO Regional Office for Europe demonstrates that integrated governance of water and health delivers tangible results.
It is the only world's legally binding international agreement specifically linking water management with the prevention of water related diseases.
The weigh a few specific points.
First, significant experience and tools developed under the protocol in the Pan European region is available for countries worldwide.
Second, in the multilateral context, the existing instruments like the Water Convention and the Protocol on Water and health should be the core pillar of the overall landscape for water in the post 2030 agenda.
Third, as chair of the Protocol on Water and Health, the Republic of Moldova reaffirms its commitment to work with parties and non parties, United Nations entities and partners to avoid integrated approach that protect both people and environment.
I thank you.
I thank the permanent representative of Moldova.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Georgia.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chair.
Georgia has made significant progress in recent years through major investments in the water supply and sanitation infrastructure.
Georgia will ensure to provide 100% of its urban population with access to safe and reliable drinking water by 2028.
The urban settlements will benefit from continuous standard compliant water supply and ruler coverage will follow through phased investments.
While access to water supply has improved significantly, there is still a major need in respect of the sanitation of all the country.
Currently, active preparatory work is underway for the cities to provide modern sewerage networks and the wastewater treatment plans.
This project will be implemented gradually over the next 11 years and require approximately $1.5 billion as an investment.
Looking ahead, the investment the need of the investment will be increasing, particularly in the context of the increased urbanization, increase of the context of the climate change and at the same time, the need for technological modernization.
Therefore, we believe that it's vital for countries and development partners to share a common understanding that water and sanitation investments aimed at achieving SDG six should be supported through.
I thank the District Representative of Georgia.
Now I give the floor to the District representative of mesa Group for children and youth to be followed by Morocco, Zimbabwe, France, Philippines, Liberia.
Thank you, excellences, distinguished delegates and fellow stakeholders.
I am Eggy Marco from the Water Youth Network, the global focal point for SDG six, and I speak on behalf of the major group for children and youth.
This session is a timely space to reflect not only where water sits across the 2030 agenda, but how young people are being mobilized to deliver on it.
As MGCYSG six constituency, we're already mobilizing youth for the UN Water Conference and how member states and co hosts can strengthen this work.
We're establishing a global youth organizing committee, delivering capacity building programs, compiling a global database of young water experts, and developing youth policy recommendations to strengthen meaningful youth engagement throughout the preparatory processes.
Young people are not waiting to be engaged.
We are already organizing.
What we now need is institutional support.
We therefore call upon the co hosts of the UN Water Conference to provide dedicated funding for youth participation and to establish an official youth forum within the conference agenda.
As SDG six enter its next phase of review, We encourage you water and member states to institutionalize youth engagement through formal participation mechanisms, investment in youth capacity, support for youth led networks, and youth representation across the SEG six processes and the MGCY is ready to support these efforts.
We look forward to working together to accelerate progress towards SEG six.
Thank you.
I thank the distingued representative of middle group for children and youth.
Now I give the floor to the distingued representative of Morocco.
Mr.
Chair, Distinguished delegate for Morocco, SDG six is inseparable from development, human security and climate resilience.
As a semi arid country, Morocco faces structural water challenges worsened by climate change impacts and rising demand.
Agriculture alone accounting for more than 80% of national water use.
Under the high leadership of His Majesty, the King Muhammed six, the Kingdom of Morocco has deployed an integrated water strategy built on four pillars.
First, a longstanding dam policy with over 140 large dams and storage capacity exceeding 20 billion cubic meters.
Second, expanding desalination.
Targeting 1.7 billion cubic meters annually by 2030, alongside the reuse of 400 million cubic meter of treated wastewater.
Third, water use efficiency with localized irrigation.
Fourth, strengthen basin level governance involving agricultural water users directly.
Our experience point to three priorities for accelerating SDG six.
Integrated first integrated water energy food policies, scaled up financing, and stronger South South cooperation.
The 2026 UN Water Conference must translate these priorities into tangible commitments.
I thank you, Mr.
Chair.
Thank the Disting representative of Morocco.
Now I give the floor to the disting representative of Jimbwe.
Mr.
President, thank you very much and all protocols observed.
Zimbabwe has more than 10,000 dams, which provide a strategic water body across the country.
At community level, the government is rolling out 35,000 solar powered balls across the country.
These are complemented by village business units which are supporting nutrition, gardens, fisheries, and other income generating activities.
Together, the dams and balls are accelerating access to clean water while advancing food security, livelihoods, and poverty reduction.
Under a homegrown program, the National Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Program, Zimbabwe is expanding irrigated agriculture, strengthening resilience to climate shocks and supporting sustainable rural development.
These initiatives, Mr.
President, are demonstrating that the practical linkages between SG six and the broader 2030 agenda We know that there problems such as climate change continues to ravage us, increase the droughts, and also extreme weather events with rapid urbanization and population growth which are affecting implementation.
As we approach 2030, our collective task is to translate commitments into practical solutions that reach communities, protect ecosystems, and also strengthen resilience.
I thank the distru representative of Zimbabwe now.
I give the floor to the distru representative of France.
Merci.
Thank you.
After this review of SDG six, it's crucial to recall that access to water takes place on a territory.
Local communities are on the front lines, but SDG six cannot be achieved in an isolated manner.
Water is at the heart of interconnections between SDGs like health, food security, and gender equality, et cetera French local communities have experience with this on the daily.
They develop comprehensive approaches.
Fostering nature based approaches, reducing losses in their networks, and encouraging citizens to sustainably manage these resources.
This year's review ought to recall two points to us.
First of all, only local communities that are fully involved in public policy without them, achieving the 20 2010 is not possible.
With without them, we risk that we won't be able to achieve the 2030 deadline.
We have proposed this at a preparatory meeting for Jakar for the next UN conference that the SDGs linked to water ought to be enshrined as soon as possible as global water goals independently of the future of the 2030 agenda.
Thank you.
I thank the Distinct representative of France.
Now I give the floor to the Distent Representative of Philippines.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
As one of the country's most vulnerable to climate change, the Philippines recognizes that strengthening water security is essential to building resilient communities.
We continue to advance integrated water resources management, through watershed protection, river basin planning, improve water use efficiency, and investments in climate resilient water infrastructure.
We are also expanding access to safely water managed drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services, particularly for underserved and vulnerable communities.
Science, technology and innovation are key to accelerating implementation.
The Philippines is harnessing remote sensing, climate information services, smart metering, artificial intelligence, and advanced flood forecasting to strengthen water governance and support evidence based decision making.
Mr.
President, achieving SDG six requires stronger international cooperation.
We therefore call for predictable financing, public private partnerships, technology transfer, and capacity building that respond to national priorities.
As preparations continue for the 2026 and 2028 UN Water Conference, we encourage the international community to accelerate implementation of the Water action agenda and translate commitments into concrete action.
Philippines remain committed to working with all partners to advance integrated science based and people centered water governance in pursuit of SDG six.
Thank you.
Thank the Distinguished representative of Philippines.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Libera to be followed by Poland, Thailand, UAE, Cotiva and Malawi.
Thank you.
Libera shares both the global challenges and the progress recently reported by the joint monitoring program of UNICEF and WHO.
At current, we stand at 79% of access to basic drinking water.
However, the report reminds us that much work needs to be done on access to sanitation as we have only 23%.
Recognizing these beans, over the past two years, Liberia has accelerated investment in water infrastructure.
Our extensive groundwater resources, we are increasingly using them to create sustainable climate resilient water systems, especially in communities where traditional surface water solutions are either too costly or technically challenging to implement.
In rural towns, we are implementing solar panel water system, standalone water system in order to increase water supply to communities that are in need.
Our sanitation system remains a challenge, and these challenges, we understand we cannot achieve the full public health value of the SDGCs if sanitation remains unattended to.
In most of these gathering we discuss more about water and not paying much attention to sanitation would therefore encourage us to consider sanitation.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Library.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Poland.
Dear Excellency's distinguished delegates.
Today, water security is just as important as energy security.
Effective water management requires moving beyond administrative boundaries towards a river basin approach.
As we all know, water knows no borders.
For this reason, Poland supports the development of a coordinated approach to water retention projects based on a river basin management.
Our view, the implementation of SDG six extends far beyond what is reflected in the title.
It is also an investment in food security, public health, biodiversity conservation, the development of local economies, and the climate resilience.
Green and blue infrastructure should become the standard.
Sustainable stormwater management increases local water retention and reducing surface ceiling not only improves citizens' quality of life, but also reduce the risk of flush flooding.
Excellency's distinguished delegates.
We believe that the greatest progress can be achieved through an integrated approach that brings together water policy, nature conservation, spatial planning, agriculture, and climate policy while actively engaging local governments, scientific community, and the local stakeholders.
I thank you.
I thank the Distingu representative of Poland.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ireland.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
Thailand places high priority on advancing SET six, recognizing that water is deeply linked to livelihood and security of our people.
We have continued to strengthen water resources management and sanitation through the 20 year water resources management master plan and the clean water for domestic consumption action plan.
As a result, Thailand has achieved near universal access to drinking water services and basic sanitation.
These achievements have contributed significantly to reducing waterborne diseases and enhancing public health.
Nevertheless, in continue to face challenges in water quality management at the national level and in transboundary rivers.
Addressing these challenges require us to seek more effective tools and mechanisms to support integrated and system wide water quality management across the entire water system.
Accelerating action on water quality requires science based policies, particularly reliable data for effective water monitoring and early warning system.
Which strengthen cooperation on water quality management at both bilateral and multilateral levels.
It is also important to join measure to prevent and reduce pollution, including through the application of nature based solution and traditional engineering infrastructure.
Excellency is in a world increasing affected by adverse effects of climate change and rapid urbanization.
The health of wetlands and river is under growing pressure.
Thailand believes that integrated water resource management provide an effective framework for promoting the coordinated development, management of water, land, and re resources.
Through these efforts, we can better manage risk, accelerate progress toward SG six, and strengthen water security for I thank the district representative of Thailand.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of UAE.
Thank you, Chair for hosting this important session on SDG six.
Located in one of the most water scarce regions in the world, the UAE has long demonstrated innovation and resilience in driving progress on water action.
Most recently, we launched the AW Global Water platform, which is a $2 billion initiative aiming to impact 10 million people by 2030.
Domestically, the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 has transformed national water governance, targeting a 21% national water demand reduction, a 95% wastewater reuse rate, and more than 100 million tons of CO two emission reduction.
All of this experience will be deployed as we prepare for the 2026 CN Water Conference, and you will hear more about these plans at the SDG six special event this afternoon and during our flagship side event taking place on 14 July.
We also hope that this year will be an opportunity to set the path for sustained and coordinated dialogue and action on water.
The momentum is with us and we welcome and encourage all member states and stakeholders to join us in elevating our efforts to see SDG six delivered, taking advantage of the key opportunity that the 2026 UN Water Conference will present in Abu Dhabi this December.
Thank you.
I thank the district representative of UE.
Now, I give the floor to the Distinguished representative of Cotewa.
Thank you, President.
Co devoir linsel of the States African Group and welcome the decisions of African Union to make 2026 the year of universal access to water and to safe sanitation systems.
We commend the UN's initiatives for water, which helps to accelerate investment, strengthening capacity, and improving water governance.
For Côte D'ivoire, water and sanitation are a strategic priority for implementing the SDGs.
To this regard, we have made investments and reforms allowing for significant progress to be made with the level of access to drinking water that is over 50% in 2011 and rose to 80% in 2024, and we have almost doubled our sanitation access.
However, challenges remain, and that is why sustainable management of water resources, universal access to drinking water, and improving sanitation are some of our national priorities for 2026 23 development plan.
Supported by strong international and national initiatives through the Water For W Initiative, we presented our national water strategy and are committed to mobilizing $5.5 billion by 2030.
Mr.
President, the GDP Investment and Water Group held a meeting in Abidjan to promote innovation to accelerate microphone was cut off for the speaker.
I thank the distinguished representative of Cote.
Now I give the floor to the permanent representative of Malawi to be followed by Switzerland, Unip, UK, Finland, and Senegal.
Malawi remains committed to ensuring that all its citizens have access to safely managed water and sanitation by 2030.
However, the pursuit of this goal has faced several obstacles.
Malawi has therefore developed several policies to address these challenges.
Our national water policy, national sanitation and hygiene policy, and integrated water resources management framework guide our response.
To close water access, we require the following.
Framework, systemic transformation, including stronger coordination, clearer instructional mandates, and blended financing, combining domestic resources, development partners, and private capital.
We recognize that water is foundational to health, food security, gender equality, cities, climate, and ecosystems.
Leveraging these fully means moving from siloed planning to integrated frameworks across water, energy, agriculture, climate and health.
We therefore call for stronger financing partnerships, scaled investment, innovation, imperative community ownership, cross sector investment, and full use of global frameworks.
I thank you.
I thank the Permanent representative of Malawi.
Now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Suiand.
Maximus.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
Ten years after the adoption of SDG six, we're at a pivotal moment.
No progress has been achieved, but we cannot settle for sporadic responses.
We must place water at the center of climate agricultural development policy and strengthen transboundary cooperation, which is so crucial.
Given that these are generally shared resources, experience shows that sustainable development requires three pillars.
First of all, strong commitment for comprehensive management of water sanitation.
Secondly, robust management systems to ensure balanced water usage, to protect ecosystems, and to prevent risks and disasters.
Thirdly, dedicated, predictable and sufficient financing aligned with these priorities at all levels.
Water must remain a priority beyond 2030.
Instead of simply being a technical issue, it is rather at the heart of development and at the heart of all of our lives.
Switzerland is the co president together with Ghana of the Water Population pillar of the UN Water Conference 2026, will continue to invest in this issue, especially through Geneve International Geneva.
Thank you.
I thank the Distinguished representative of Switzerland.
Now I give the floor to the Distinguished representative of UNP.
Excellency Your Excellency's colleagues and friends of water.
I'm honored to make brief comments as a member of UN Water on behalf of the UN Water family.
UN Water is the United Nations interagency coordination mechanism of water and sanitation.
It brings together 36 UN entities and 54 other international partners to deliver as one on water and sanitation challenges.
Today, we're very proud and happy to launch the United Nations SDG six Synthesis report on water and sanitation.
The Report is a collective contribution from across the UN system to support in depth review of SDG six here at the high level political forum.
The key messages are clear.
After ten years of SDG six, countries are delivering measurable progress.
Progress is accelerating, but remains too slow and uneven in certain places.
Thirdly, SDG six has demonstrated the value of a dedicated global goal on water and sanitation for people and the planet.
Fourth, SDG six has shaped countries pathways to progress.
It has enhanced the United Nations system wide coordination and delivery and stakeholders have expressed strong support for a dedicated water goal beyond 2030.
This afternoon, I invite you to join a special event in conference room 12 to discuss the report.
I thank the distinguished representative of Unit.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
The United Kingdom welcomes the third SDG six synthesis Report, which recognizes significant progress made over the past decade to improve the lives of the most vulnerable people.
Despite this progress, the synthesis report provides a wake up call for the international community.
Over 2 billion people still lack access to safely managed water services and more than 3 billion people are going without safely managed sanitation.
These are not just numbers, Mr.
President, these are people's lives.
At London Climate Action Week two weeks ago, the Secretary-General made a landmark speech.
The United Kingdom published our new international climate finance strategy setting out how the UK will mobilize public and private finance, accelerate climate resilience, and protect nature, including freshwater ecosystems.
We need to ensure the UN Water Conference and Trio Rio Convention cops make 2026 a crucial year.
The UK proposes five priorities.
First, build political ambition for coordinated action.
Second, accelerate policy reform and strengthen governance.
Third, corporate stewardship and sustainable water management through global trade and supply chains, and fourth, water finance.
Lastly, we must strengthen the evidence base and innovation for water security, for growth, resilience, and climate and nature.
I thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Finland.
Mr.
Chair, Your Excellencies, Finland aligns itselves with the statement by the European Union, however, with few remarks as Finland.
Water is critical enabler of the other SDGs, notably the gender equality, which simply cannot be achieved without universal and safe access to water and sanitation.
Colleagues, Finland has been committed advocate of the global water agenda for decades.
Our engagement is guided by the simple idea.
Shared waters require shared rules, shared knowledge, and trust based cooperation.
At the 26th UN conference, Finland co chairs together with Samba the Water Fo Cooperation Dialogue.
We believe the Water Conference can accelerate progress through flagship initiatives that are concrete, highly visible, and recognized by the leadership.
Us, success in the cooperation dialogue means transforming water cooperation from a technical challenge into structured, rules based transboundary water, cooperation grounded in science and inclusive governance.
This requires new accession to the UN Water conventions as they provide the legal backbone for peaceful, equitable and sustainable transboundary water cooperation.
It is also fundamental to hear diverse voices and base decisions in science.
Um, it is unfortunately clear that we will not reach all the SDGs, colleagues, together, we simply must do more.
I thank the distinguished representative of Finland.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Senegal to be followed by Ethiopia, China, USCSR Saudi Arabia, Russian Federation.
President.
President, less than five years away from the 2030 agenda, it appears clearly that SDG six, despite the efforts that have been made cannot be reached if water continues to be considered an isolated sector.
Water is in fact the very foundation of food security, of energy, economic growth, and climate resilience as well as stability.
In other words, it's at the basis of life.
Accelerating SDG six is accelerating the entire 2030 agenda, and that is why Senecgal welcoming the decision of the African Union to proclaim 2026 the year of water sustainability, continues its efforts in order to guarantee universal access to drinking water, access to sanitation by 2030, while reinforcing resilience of those resources in the light of climate change.
It's from that point of view that Senegal has drawn up its water forward compact for 2026 2030 in order to guarantee that more than 85% of the population has access to drinking water, as well as investments worth $2.5 billion.
I'm conscious of the global challenges facing us.
Senegal is fully committed to organizing the UN Conference on Water for 2026.
My country will have the honor of co chairing it with the United Ara Emirates and it will certainly be a rendezvous for the implementation Thanks, the distinguished representative of Senegal.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ethiopia.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
I would like to make the following contribution on this crucial agenda.
For Ethiopia, water remains the foundation for our national development trajectory and climate resilience.
Access to clean water has reached nearly two thirds of the population.
Ethiopia's commitment to advancing water, sanitation, and hygiene is reflected in a steady progress toward SDG six.
To remain on track toward meeting the SDG six targets, we will continue to scale up investments and partnerships in integrated water related systems.
Let me also highlight a flagship National Riverside Restoration initiative.
The As Abba Riverside project is reversing decades old ecological degradation while transforming once polluted flood po river banks into citywide green spaces and economic hubs.
On the hindrances facing SDG six, the challenge stems from a combination of factors, including prolonged underfunding, structural bottlenecks, and accelerating climate crisis.
Closing the vast financing gap will require sustained political will and effective partnerships capable of crowding in capital from across sectors and actors, including private capital.
I thank you.
I thank the distant goods representative of Ethiopia.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of China.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
In water governance, China has always followed a people centered philosophy guided by President Xinpin's water governance approach of prioritizing water conservation, balancing, spatial distribution, taking, systematic measures and leveraging both government and market forces.
China has made significant progress in implementing SDG six.
Of the 12 indicators, four are close to being fully achieved and the rest are on a positive trajectory.
By the end of 2025, in rural China, access to tap water had reached 96% and water supply security continued to improve.
The proportion of national surface water with good or excellent water quality rose to 91.4%.
Ecological condition of rivers continue to improve.
Total national water use has remained relatively stable and we have a river chief management system we've carried out productive cooperation with neighboring countries and established cooperation mechanisms.
In international cooperation, we have implemented more than 100 projects overseas and trained more than 600 people from partner countries.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of president's proposal of the Global Development Initiative.
We're ready to work with all parties to continue deepened exchanges and cooperation, make greater contribution to implementing the 2030 agenda.
Thank you.
Thank the distinguished representative of China.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of USCSR.
Excellencies, as UN Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, one reflection and four concrete proposals.
Main reflection.
The billions of impoverished people without guaranteed access to safe drinking water do not represent a business opportunity for anyone.
They pose a democratic challenge that governments and multilateral institutions must confront.
With regard to my proposals, there are four issues to which I believe greater attention must be paid.
First, growing toxic discharges and the growing toxic contamination of drinking water caused by mining, agrochemicals, and emerging contaminants such as the PFAs.
Second, paying greater attention to the human right to sanitation, including hygiene as well as to health and menstrual hyiene.
Third, there is a need to focus specifically on dialogue with right holders who are fighting for human rights with women at the forefront and who face criminalization as a result.
In fact, they should be considered key allies in advancing SDG six as they are the ones with the greatest interest and commitment.
Fourth, despite facing a difficult moment in which the multilateralism represented by the UN is under attack and at risk, we must I thank the distinguished representative of EAC CtA.
I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Saudi Arabia.
Thank you, Mr.
Chair.
We would like to thank the UN for convening this high level political forum.
We reiterate our commitment to achieve the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
Goal six is one of the main pillars of our vision for sustainable development.
We developed an integrated water system that is based on innovation, efficiency, enhancing water security through a national comprehensive plan reflected in the national strategy for water.
This strategy has programs and initiatives and projects that led to increasing the coverage of water connectivity as well as the collection, storing, and recycling and reusing of water and wastewater.
This includes also contingency plans, structural reforms, and establishing of agencies that had clear objectives for the total supply and the whole spectrum of the supply chain.
The challenges exceed our capacity, but this requires uniting our efforts and as such, we launched the International Institute for Water Research and at the same time, we would like to host the 11th forum on water in 2027 in Riadh.
The achievement of goal six requires sustainable and continued international collaboration.
Thank you.
Representative of Saudi Arabia, now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Russian citizens to be followed by M Group for Science and Technology, Sudan, Burkina Paso, Bangladesh.
Yeah.
Thank you, President.
The Russian Federation categorically rejects the accusations put forward by the Ukrainian delegation.
Moving to substantive issues.
With regard to today's topic, we note with satisfaction the considerable progress made in implementing SDG six.
The Russian Federation is working for a sound use of water resources, introducing new modern technologies, allowing us to protect the environment instead of damaging it.
As far as international cooperation goes, we believe it's very important to exchange information, carry out joint research, and pay special attention to a comprehensive integrated approach toward management of surface and groundwater.
At the same time, we are convinced that on international platforms, existing UN mechanisms, bilateral and regional cooperation instruments are sufficient for effective management of water resources.
In closing, we'd like to emphasize that only a de politicized constructive dialogue, commitment to UN SDGs, recognition of the sovereign rights of states to their natural resources, and to freely choosing forms of cooperation on their use will allow humanity to have a maximally effective use and conservation of water resources.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Russian Pets.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of middle group or Sin Sin Technological community.
Distinguished Chair.
I have the honor to speak on behalf of the scientific and technological Comm major group, coordinated by the International Science Council and the World Federation of Engineering Organizations.
The world is not off track on SDG six because we lack knowledge.
The real challenge is implementation through political commitment, strong institutions, capacity building, sustained investment, and more effective science policy interfaces.
As someone from the Pacific, I know what it means to be surrounded by water, yet increasingly uncertain about freshwater.
Rising seas increase water contamination of groundwater while extreme weather damages fragile water infrastructure.
For specific communities like mine, water security cannot be separated from climate resilience, food systems, or cultural identity.
That is why we must bring together the natural and social sciences, engineering, and indigenous and local knowledge.
Lasting solutions are not important, they are co produced with communities.
Small island developing states should not be viewed only through the leans of vulnerability.
They are also places of innovation where locally grounded knowledge in science are building resilience to some of the world's most complex water challenges.
Achieving SDG six is not simply about managing water.
We therefore call on member states to make better use of scientific evidence in engineering expertise and shaping water policy.
Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of group or scientific and technology community.
Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Sudan.
Shukran Cedar.
Thank you, Mr.
Chair, Your Excellencies.
We are honored to partake part in this important discussion at the time where we see acceleration of climate challenges, security, and economic challenges at a time when the world believes that water is essential and that recognizing that is also witnessing a shifting point.
This is a basis for water security, food security, building safety and security, and translation of political will into a roadmap for investment.
Sudan reiterates the importance of this transformation in how we view water.
Given the importance of water in the Nile River basin and the effect of the conflicts, especially on that.
Since this conflict in Sudan, there were repercussions and internal displacement led to severe demands on water systems.
In this regard, we talk about three priorities.
The first is to improve governance and national institutions for water.
The second, the need to invest in improving the infrastructure and third, to have finance and partnerships at the global and international level to enhance regional water security.
Sudan reiterates its commitment to work on achieving goal six and putting water in the heart of recovery efforts so that we don't leave anyone behind.
Thank you.
City of Sudan, now I give the floor to the dist representative of Burkina Faso.
Our government has made it possible to provide significant access to water in 2026 due to investments that were made in water resources, as well as strengthening governance in the area in Burkina Faso, terrorist attacks, the climate vulnerability, the demographic growth, forced displacements, as well as the growing need for financing exerted pressure on water resources, including the sanitation infrastructure.
Given these challenges, my country has decided to strengthen the links between water in the area of education, health, industrialization, as well as climate resilience in order to improve, at the same time, food security, public health, education, as well as job creation.
At the same time, my country continues reforms that are aimed at strengthening the mobilization of natural resources and also to further direct investment towards priority sectors such as water and sanitation, while remaining open to partnerships, facing all these difficult complexes.
We cannot achieve these aims without concessional financing and adapted technological transfer.
Guaranteeing access to drinking water and sanitation means investing in health, in food security, as well as security generally speaking.
Thank you.
Thank the Distingut representative of Burkina Pasa.
Now, I give the floor to the Distrut representative of Bangladesh to be followed by UN ECE, Germany, Turkey, Belgium, and Republic of Korea.
Here, can you hear me? Yeah.
Thank you, Chair, Excellencies, and distinguished guests.
As you know, Bangladesh is a climate vulnerable country and we do have a long lasting history to face the challenges of the climate changes.
Historically, Bangladesh nationalist party government always gave the priority on food security, water, education, health, and climate.
1977, April 30, our former president a Rahman declared 19 point charter how he focused the needs of the grassroot people like education, food security, treatment, housing, and clothing, and give a clear layout to solve all this problem.
Currently, our prime, the son of an and former Prime Minister Began Kaldazia also giving a priority on canal excavation program.
As you know, our government plan of digging canals of about 20,000 kilometers in the next five years to ensure the surface water for the irrigations, as well as for getting the fresh drinking water for the gastro peoples.
Also, our government has a mega project, which is called Pista Barres Project to ensure the Thank you.
I thank the distinguished representative of Bangladesh.
Now, I give the floor to the distinguished representative of UN Economy Commission for Europe.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
At UNIC, we know from experience that water cooperation delivers very tangible benefits to countries including for climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and emergency response.
As mentioned, Maya Amibia on behalf of Trump the Transboundary Water Cooperation Coalition and many more countries today.
The Water Convention hosted by UNIC offers a solid legal and institutional framework for all UN member states to use.
In this regard, allow me to congratulate Ireland and announce today that they will be exceeding the convention in the coming months.
Thank you for this.
The convention offers indeed a platform to come together and advance water cooperation globally from terms boundary agreements to joint climate planning and data sharing and much more.
Furthermore, the protocol on Water and Health co hosted by UNIC and W Europe supports countries in the region to implement integrated approaches connecting water, health, environment through target setting, peer exchange, and again, international cooperation.
The upcoming 2026 and 2028 Water Conference are offering us pivotal opportunities for impact.
Finland and Zambia are launching an initiative called towards 100 parties to the Water Convention.
Let me praise their ambition and urge all countries to join them.
Thank you so much.
I thank the District Representative of ECE.
Now I give the floor to the District Representative of Germany.
Thank you, Chair.
Germany aligns itself with the EU statement and welcomes the SDG six synthesis report.
While the report shows improvement in implementing SDG six, water related challenges grow.
We should therefore build on the achievements and accelerate our actions.
On the national level, Germany has held a broad stakeholder dialogue to set up a cross sectoral national water strategy.
Now, we're in the process of implementing it, a task that is also a challenge.
Cross sectoral cooperation is a learning process, but a necessary and a beneficial one.
Internationally, as one of the largest bilateral donors, Germany works with partners to strengthen institutions and mobilize investment for safe, inclusive and climate resilient water services to achieve the human rights to water and sanitation.
We promote innovative partnerships such as the Urban Water Catalyst Initiative and work with our partners to improve water resource management also in transboundary contexts.
Looking at the multilateral level, member states have not discussed water in a systematic way for decades.
We cannot afford that.
We, the member states have to deliver now and we can do so at the 2026 UN Water Conference.
Many countries are calling for a regular intergovernmental dialogue on water to increase guidance and efficiency for water in the multilateral system.
As a co chair for the UN Water Conference, we support efforts to strengthen water governance and to better integrate water across I thank the Distrit Representative of Germany.
Now, I give the floor to the Distrit representative of Turkey.
Thank you, Mr.
Chair.
Turkey views water as a vital foundation for sustainable development, environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
Our 12 Development Plan and National Water Plan adopt an integrated and risk informed approach to sustainable water.
Turkey's experience shows that effective SDG six implementation requires integrated water resource management, ize turbine decision making, and digital transformation.
Through river basin management plans, drought, and flood risk strategies, and integrated water resources management, we have made concrete steps to reach our common goals on SDG six.
At the same time, we are advancing digital water governance through the Hydro platform.
Which enables data driven analysis and supports digital modeling of river basins.
Recognizing that water related challenges to us and borders, Turkey supports cooperation among riparian countries, exchange of knowledge and practices based on the principles of equitable and reasonable utilization, taking into account the mutual rights and interests of both upstream and downstream countries to accelerate towards SDG six.
From Turkey's perspective, one clear message emerged.
Accelerating SDG six requires integrated water resources management, improved I thank the distribute representative of Turkia.
Now I give the floor to the distribute representative of Belgium.
Thank you.
Chairs Excellencies, Belgium underlines that water is a driver of progress across several SDGs and is intrinsically linked to health, food security, energy, and climate resilience.
For Belgium, it is essential to recall that access to safe drinking water and sanitation is a human right.
Affordable, safe, and sustainable water and sanitation services must remain at the heart of the implementation of SEG six with particular attention to people in vulnerable situations as well as wastewater treatment and reuse.
Belgium underlines the importance of an integrated nexus approach.
Water, energy, food security, and ecosystems are closely interconnected, considering both water quantity and water quality.
Belgium also advocates for strengthened transboundary cooperation.
Data sharing, scientific cooperation, and operational arrangements are essential.
Belgium further calls for investments and innovative and accessible financing for water action to be designed in an inclusive manner with an explicit attention to gender equality.
In this spirit, Belgium calls for water to be more strongly embedded in multilateral processes.
The implementation of SEG six requires cooperation across all levels of government with all relevant stakeholders, including local and regional authorities.
In this regard, Belgium reaffirms its support for the UNIC Convention on the protection and use of transboundary water courses and international lakes.
Belgium looks forward.
Thank the District representative of Belgium.
Now I give the floor to the District representative of Republic of Korea to be followed by Palestine, Spain, Italy, and Taikhstan.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
The Republic of Korea has made continuous policy efforts to ensure that everyone has access to safe water and sanitation.
As a result, more than 90 90% of the entire population now has access to public water supply services and more than 95% is covered by storage services.
Republic of Korea has also continued to strengthen its water management policies by improving the water quality of rivers and lakes through integrated water resource management and enhancing flood forecasting capabilities using AI.
This achievement has been made possible through long term public investment and science based policy making.
We recognize that world challenges cannot be addressed by any country alone, and we hope that the 2026 UN World Conference will serve as an important turning point in translating these shared challenges and commitments into concrete action.
Republic of Korea will continue to work closely with member states states and wide range of stakeholders to accelerated the implementation of SD six and contribute to the achievement of the 2030 agenda.
Thank you.
I thank the Dist representative of Republic of Korea.
Now I give the floor to the Dist representative of the State of Palestine.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
Water is a fundamental human right reaffirmed in the 2030 agenda and is a pillar for the SDGs.
However, one in four people globally lack access to safe drinking water due to geographic constraints, conflicts, and climate change.
These barriers are further intensified where access to natural resources is systematically constrained, which is the reality in Palestine where water is a matter of life and death.
While SDG six calls for the improvement of water quality by reducing pollution, for paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and for equitable access to safe drinking water for all.
In the case of Palestine, UNP has warned that the latest Israeli aggression on Gaza has inflicted an unprecedented environmental crisis with irreversible damage to its ecosystems.
UNFPA has also warned that 40% of pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza suffered from severe malnutrition and dehydration and in the West Bank, Israel's exploitation of water resources denies millions of Palestinians the WHO standard of 100 liters per person per day for nearly 60 years.
I thank the distribute representative of State of Palestine.
Now I give the floor to the distribute representative of Spain Microphone, please.
Thank you, President.
Spain sees access to water and sanitation as two fundamental human rights essential for the fight against poverty and inequality.
Our commitment to the implementation of SDG six is firm and resolute and has strengthened in recent years.
Spain's renewed sustainable development strategy will build a water management bottle through water basins with the integrated public policies at this approach has proven to be efficient in the planning, assigning, and protection of water resources has been a point of reference within the framework of the UN Conference on Water for 2026 and with a view to which Spain will have the honor of co chairing it along with China in the interactive dialogue Water for prosperity.
Given the fact that agriculture is responsible for 80% of water consumption in Spain, the government is committed to modernizing irrigation.
But internationally, we situate access to water and sanitation within a human rights based approach within this framework.
The Water Cooperation Fund of Spanish cooperation will implement these as universal rights and will pay particular attention to vulnerable populations, dispersed to rural populations and indigenous peoples.
We have mobilized 1.643 billion euros in total investment, thus strengthening the life of 4.6 million people and the Spanish Fund for Sustainable Development will complement the Cooperation Fund for water and sanitation, combining concessional financing and donations.
Thank you.
Representative Spain, now I give the floor to the Dignal Representative of Italy.
Mr.
President, excellence is distinguished delegates.
Italy aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and its member states.
Achieving SDG six requires an integrated, technically sound regionally and globally coordinated approach, recognizing water as a strategic enabler of resilience, stability, and sustainable development.
This means addressing deeply connected technical and governance challenges, particularly in water stress regions such as the Mediterranean, increasingly affected by structural water scarcity and rising demand across different sectors where water constraints directly affect food production, energy security, and socioeconomic equity.
Italy strongly believes that achieving SDG six requires actions fostering co benefits across the 2030 agenda, addressing SDGs interlinkages through a source to see approach.
It calls for integrated approaches pursued through regional cooperational initiatives, including the upcoming Union for the Mediterranean Ministerial meeting and the first Euro Mediterranean Water Forum, both to be held in Rome, as well as through global processes such as the UN Water Conference.
I thank you.
I thank the representative of Italy.
Now I give the floor to the district representative of Tajikistan.
Thank you, Chair.
Water is a foundation of sustainable development while progress has been made, implementation of SDG six remains too slow and unwan.
We must now shift from commitments to implementation through stronger partnerships, innovative financing, technology transfer, and integrated water resources management.
Tajikhstan believes that the Duhawa process provides an inclusive platform to translate global commitments into practical action through peer learning partnerships and accountability.
Looking beyond 2028, we also see value in developing a Dhabi Water framework as a long term action oriented platform to sustain global water cooperation and implementation beyond the water action decade.
The 2026 and 2028 UN Water conferences should serve as a complimentary milestones that mobilize investment, strengthen cooperation, and accelerate progress on SDG six and the entire 2030 agenda.
Tajikistan remains firmly committed to working with all member states and partners to accelerate the implementation of SDG six and strengthening global water cooperation.
I thank you.
I thank the District representative of Tajikistan.
Now I give the floor to the distingt representative of Papua New Guinea.
Mr.
President, ensuring access to clean water and sanitation for our people is an important national priority and commitment.
We are concerned with the high cost of economic and human lives for the country due to the current challenging water and sanitation situation.
We recognize this much more coordinated and focused work, adequate financing investment in water and sanitation infrastructure is needed.
For SDG six, Papua New Guinea this year operationalized its national was authority.
This will consolidate mandates, coordinate work and investments in safe and clean water and basic sanitation and expand services to 80% of rural areas which are currently unbched.
This is our single most transformative reform to deliver on SDG six.
We are scaling up local level wash plans nationwide.
Also strengthening means of implementation countrywide.
Thirdly, partnerships remains central to our strategy.
We are strengthening constructive cooperation with our partners.
Finally, we recognized the critical importance of data and monitoring.
This is needed to strengthen implementation country wide.
Finally, we count on the December 2026 UN Water Conference to further catalyze the efforts needed for SDG six.
Thank you.
I thank the Permanent Representative of Papa New Ginea Now I give the floor to the representative of Pan African Intergovernmental agency for Water and Sanitation.
Mr.
President, our mission bring forward Water HR, a Pan African water women centered initiative that embodies the urgency, innovation, and solidarity required to achieve universal access to clean water, sanitation, and policies relating to solutions on water challenges in women.
We must not put aside the challenges women face, including unsafe water assets in many regions encounter rape, abuse, and lose their lives.
Poor sanitation and hygiene challenges, health risk from contaminated water, climate driven water scarcity, as well as hazards of ungered water, economic exclusion on water related water crisis.
Mr.
President, our mission wish to call for urgent attention to consider Water H as an essential gender response attention needed to provide solutions to water security on women and girls across the world.
I thank you.
Thank you.
Now we have heard the last speaker on the list.
In this instance, unfortunately, Excellencies delegates, due to the high interest in the topic of the discussions and time constraint, it was not possible to hear from all those wishing to intervene.
I apologize to the 12 speaker who were unable to take the floor.
I now give the floor back to the moderator in order to hear brief deflections on the discussions and concluding remarks from the panelists wells.
Thank you, Mr.
President.
We are giving 1 minute to each of our distinguished panelists.
Miss Masuri Flossios.
Thank you.
Dear member, your input is my comments.
I have three reflection from the discussion.
Number one, we have made progress, but we need to accelerate.
Number two, water is more than one SDG target.
It covers all.
The third, international cooperation remain essential and it must be inclusive.
We have to prove to show multilaterlism delivered.
Thank you.
Thank you so much, Mr.
Sos.
Thank you.
I'm very encouraged by what I've heard in the various statements.
But I just have to remind everyone that these encouraging statements have to be translated into strong public policies and public financing.
Because many countries which have taken the floor are the countries I know where the access gap to water supply and sanitation is increasing, not decreasing.
The countries which have taken the floor and have spoken other countries where the open defecation is increasing, not decreasing.
So clearly, we are not walking the talk.
My request is that let's get serious about the prioritization of water and sanitation in your country.
Second, I fully endorse the point that was made before.
Please do not do water supply projects without taking care of sanitation.
Doing water supply without sanitation is only creating more problems.
So no water supply without sanitation projects as was observed by Liberia.
My third and last point is that many of you talk about favorable financing, concessional financing, blended financing, there are ways we can work and make it work for you, whether you are a very credit worthy utility or a government or a low credit worthy government.
We can work with all range of countries.
I suggest that if the countries which are really interested in trying to see how to work with private sector in management contract, performance based contracts, et cetera, please invite the World Bank Group or the other MDBs in the country to have a conversation with you.
They will mobilize the tools which are needed to really make it work.
Thank you.
Thank you, Professor Matani.
We'll be happy to work along with World Bank on your problem.
Don't forget to invite you and you.
Thank you all the member states for the intervention.
I think we all agree that the problem of water is a serious problem, but one thing that we can do differently is changing the discourse and turning water from the victim sector and impact sector into an opportunity sector, into an upstream sector.
Where investments in water means investment in national security, in health equity, gender equality, and fulfillment of human rights.
I think that's something that is missing from the discourse currently as we don't see water as the opportunity sector that brings a lot of other things with the help of the scientists and the UN agencies, we can do a better job in mapping all the co benefits and then branding water as the opportunity sector that we can all take advantage of in solving the problems of the world.
Thank you very much.
Well, Mr.
President, we will all have our own takeaways from this very rich discussion.
I think we've been reminded that no SDG exists in isolation and certainly SDG six is a superconnector across the entire 2030 agenda.
It's fundamental to health, food security, poverty reduction, education, gender equality, jobs, energy, climate resilience, and economic opportunity.
Progress on SDG six is progress on sustainable development and on peace and security.
For me, a recurring theme has been that finance and infrastructure, while essential are not enough, Achieving SDG six also requires effective institutions, sound rules and policies, good governance, and inclusive participation, and a special focus on women.
This resonates strongly with IDL's experience, and we look forward to strengthen partnerships with all of you to achieve SDG six and the entire 2030 agenda working across sectors, societies, and borders, guided by science and grounded in the rule of law.
Thank you very much, Mr.
President.
Thank you.
I thank the moderators, miss Vagel for expertly guiding these interesting accents of views.
I also thank our excellent panelists for insights, for their comprehensive presentations and also reflections.
Similarly, I thank all the delegations, UN systems, and stakeholders for your substantive and valuable contributions to this very important session.
Distinguished delegates, we have thus completed our program of work for this meeting.
The high level political forum will meet this afternoon at 3:00 P.M.
In this chamber to continue with its program of work.
Detailed information on the program is available on the HLPF website and on Go.
Before concluding the meeting, I wish to inform the delegation that a dedicated mobile applications has been developed for the HLPF to facilitate access to key information.
The app can be downloaded from the HLPF website and QR code is also being circulated in the conference room, the meeting is adjourned.