UAE And Senegal Lead Preparatory Meeting In Dakar To Advance The 2026 UN Water Conference

The UAE and the Republic of Senegal jointly hosted a High-Level Preparatory Meeting in Dakar from 26–27 January 2026, advancing preparations for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference. The sessions aimed to speed up global cooperation on water, support SDG 6, and turn earlier commitments into practical measures.

The co-hosts framed the 2026 UN Water Conference as a "Conference of Implementation," with a clear focus on delivery. Discussions in Dakar centred on how countries could convert previous pledges into measurable progress, encourage more coordinated international action on water, and keep political attention on long-term water security.

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The Dakar Preparatory Meeting opened under the authority of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, reflecting Senegal’s political backing for the 2026 UN Water Conference. The ceremony gathered ministers, senior government officials, United Nations leaders, representatives of regional organisations, international financial institutions, civil society, private companies, youth groups, and other stakeholders to reinforce shared engagement on water.

Participants used the meeting to strengthen political momentum around water issues and to shape a common path towards 2026. Delegates explored how different regions, including Africa and the wider Middle East, could align approaches on access, resilience, and financing. The aim was to advance a collective, action-focused outcome for the 2026 UN Water Conference.

Interactive Dialogues for 2026 UN Water Conference

A central feature of the event was a series of discussions on six Interactive Dialogues for the 2026 UN Water Conference, each chaired by two co-chair countries. For the first time, the UAE and Senegal also brought all 12 co-chairs into one joint session to exchange views on priorities and coordination.

The UAE delegation to Dakar was led by Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability. The group included representatives from several national bodies, covering both governmental and private institutions. This composition highlighted the UAE’s practice of involving a wide range of domestic stakeholders in international talks on water cooperation.

At the opening segment, Balalaa used a High-Level statement to explain the shared ambition of the UAE and Senegal for the 2026 UN Water Conference. Balalaa presented the meeting as a point where past negotiations needed to turn into delivery, and described implementation as the core measure of the conference’s success. Balalaa said: "After a 46-year pause in UN Water Conferences, and through the renewed political momentum that was led by the UAE after the 2023 UNWC, the 2026 Conference must be about implementation. Quite simply, it is a make-or-break moment. Either we unite behind sustained, coordinated, and accelerated global water action, or we as an international society risk failing not only SDG 6, but many of our broader global priorities

Senegal’s role in the 2026 UN Water Conference process was also set out during the Dakar meeting. Senegal's Minister of Water and Sanitation Cheikh Tidiane Dieye said: "Cooperation and diplomacy around water constitute strategic pillars of Senegal’s foreign and regional policy, transforming a vital resource into a lever for peace and stability, a vision Senegal brings to the preparations for the 2026 UN Water Conference "

The UAE and Senegal welcomed the newly appointed ministerial-level co-chairs for the Interactive Dialogues of the 2026 UN Water Conference, noting their responsibility for driving progress on SDG 6 and global water action. Both co-hosts stressed the need to involve all UN Member States and stakeholders, and the High-Level Preparatory Meeting will continue with further exchanges to support the ongoing process towards 2026.

With inputs from WAM