Latest news with #UNWC
Al Etihad
6 days ago
- Politics
- Al Etihad
Preparations for 2026 UN Water Conference accelerate with adoption of six interactive dialogue themes
10 July 2025 09:35 NEW YORK (WAM) At a high-level preparatory meeting convened by the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Member States formally adopted, by consensus, the themes of the six interactive dialogues of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference (2026 UNWC), held in the United Arab Emirates in December next adoption marks a pivotal milestone in the lead-up to the 2026 UNWC, which aims to elevate the global water agenda and catalyse collective action and ambitions on water-related challenges. As the first UN conference focused on accelerating progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 (ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all), the 2026 UNWC presents a vital opportunity to drive meaningful, global 2024, the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Senegal, as co-hosts of the 2026 Conference, have led a robust, inclusive consultation process involving Member States and various stakeholders, including international organisations, civil society organisations, NGOs, the private sector, and efforts were anchored by the Organisational Session held on March 3, 2025 at the UN Headquarters in New York, where initial inputs and proposals on dialogue themes were formally gathered, followed by a month-long online consultation process during which contributions and recommendations from all stakeholder groups were carefully reviewed and integrated into the development of the final themes for the interactive six themes officially adopted for the interactive dialogues are:* Water for People* Water for Prosperity* Water for Planet* Water for Cooperation* Water in Multilateral Processes* Investments for WaterAssistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, Abdulla Balalaa, stated, 'Water connects us all, and our actions must reflect that shared responsibility.' He added, 'This Conference is our moment to course-correct - to set the world on a pathway of accelerated, coordinated, and sustained water action. To demonstrate progress on clean water and access, we must leverage investments, innovation, and partnerships to secure a sustainable water future for all.'Following this milestone, the UAE and Senegal will begin the co-chairs selection process for each of the interactive selected co-chairs, working in close collaboration with the co-hosts and other stakeholders, will play a key role in shaping the thematic discussions and desired outcomes of the Conference. This selection process will conclude prior to the next major preparatory milestone scheduled to take place in Dakar, Senegal, on January 26-27, week in New York also featured a series of high-level meetings and engagements to advance the UAE's preparations and international collaboration in the lead-up to hosting the 2026 UN Water Conference, co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal, will be held in the UAE in December of next Conference aims to accelerate action toward the achievement of SDG6 and mobilise global efforts to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. As of today, 2.2 billion lack access to clean drinking water and 3.5 billion lack access to sanitation, making the 2026 UN Water Conference a timely convening for accelerating global water action.
Al Etihad
11-03-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
UAE, EU strengthen cooperation on energy, climate, water in lead-up to COP30, 2026 UN Water Conference
7 Mar 2025 20:48 BRUSSELS (WAM)Abdulla Ahmed Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, concluded a two-day trip, from the 6-7 March, to the European Union (EU) in Brussels, where he met with senior officials and stakeholders in the energy and water the meetings, Abdulla Balalaa reaffirmed the UAE's close partnership with the EU, focusing on aligning efforts, cooperation and achieving progress in the fields of renewable energy, energy efficiency and water visit followed the 2026 United Nations Water Conference (UNWC26) Organisational Session in New York and coincides with EU Ocean Days in Brussels. During the visit, he was invited to take part in the EU's consultative process on reviewing the EU's water resilience the consultative process, Balalaa highlighted the launch of the 2026 UNWC process, outlined the UAE's priorities for the conference and invited the international community to take part in working towards advancing innovative, inclusive and scalable solutions to water further affirmed the UAE's commitment to deepening its cooperation with the EU in advancing climate action, energy transition, water resilience, and global sustainability. He also highlighted that discussions in Brussels were instrumental in driving forward the climate adaptation and energy related commitments made at the 28thConference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), which was held in Dubai in 2023, to ensure strong alignment with the EU ahead of the UN Ocean Conference 2025, COP30, and the 2026 UN Water visit included meetings with a number of EU officials and the European Investment Bank (EIB) reinforcing bilateral relations to explore the potential to expand investments in clean energy, infrastructure, and water met with European Commission representatives: Ditte Juul-Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy; Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director-General of Environment; Kurt Vandenberghe, Director-General Climate Action; and Charlina Vitcheva, Director-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, in addition to representatives from the European External Action Service (EEAS). The discussions focused on advancing joint efforts in water sustainability in the lead-up to 2026 UNWC, broader climate adaptation strategies, mitigating climate change, and enhancing cooperation ahead of the UN Ocean Conference 2025 in France.
Hi Dubai
10-03-2025
- Business
- Hi Dubai
UAE Strengthens EU Partnerships in Renewable Energy and Water Sustainability
Abdulla Ahmed Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, completed a productive two-day visit to Brussels, from March 6-7, to meet with senior officials and stakeholders in the energy and water sectors. The visit underscored the UAE's commitment to advancing its collaboration with the European Union (EU) in key areas such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and water resilience. Balalaa's meetings came on the heels of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference (UNWC26) Organisational Session in New York and coincided with the EU's Ocean Days. During his visit, he was invited to participate in the EU's consultative process on reviewing the EU's water resilience strategy. At the consultative session, Balalaa emphasized the UAE's priorities for the 2026 UNWC and urged the international community to contribute to scalable and inclusive solutions for global water challenges. He also highlighted the UAE's ongoing commitment to advancing climate action, energy transition, and water resilience in collaboration with the EU, aligning efforts made during the COP28 conference in Dubai with future global sustainability goals. The discussions also involved strengthening ties with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to explore investment opportunities in clean energy, infrastructure, and water sustainability. Balalaa met with several EU officials, including Ditte Juul-Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy, and Kurt Vandenberghe, Director-General for Climate Action, to reinforce the UAE's role in driving global climate adaptation and sustainability initiatives. The visit set the stage for increased cooperation ahead of pivotal international events such as the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in France and the 2026 UN Water Conference. News Source: Emirates News Agency
Zawya
10-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
UAE, EU strengthen cooperation on energy, climate, water in lead-up to COP30, 2026 UN Water Conference
BRUSSELS: Abdulla Ahmed Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, concluded a two-day trip, from the 6-7 March, to the European Union (EU) in Brussels, where he met with senior officials and stakeholders in the energy and water sectors. During the meetings, Abdulla Balalaa reaffirmed the UAE's close partnership with the EU, focusing on aligning efforts, cooperation and achieving progress in the fields of renewable energy, energy efficiency and water resilience. Balalaa's visit followed the 2026 United Nations Water Conference (UNWC26) Organisational Session in New York and coincides with EU Ocean Days in Brussels. During the visit, he was invited to take part in the EU's consultative process on reviewing the EU's water resilience strategy. At the consultative process, Balalaa highlighted the launch of the 2026 UNWC process, outlined the UAE's priorities for the conference and invited the international community to take part in working towards advancing innovative, inclusive and scalable solutions to water challenges. He further affirmed the UAE's commitment to deepening its cooperation with the EU in advancing climate action, energy transition, water resilience, and global sustainability. He also highlighted that discussions in Brussels were instrumental in driving forward the climate adaptation and energy related commitments made at the 28thConference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), which was held in Dubai in 2023, to ensure strong alignment with the EU ahead of the UN Ocean Conference 2025, COP30, and the 2026 UN Water Conference. The visit included meetings with a number of EU officials and the European Investment Bank (EIB) reinforcing bilateral relations to explore the potential to expand investments in clean energy, infrastructure, and water sustainability. Balalaa met with European Commission representatives: Ditte Juul-Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy; Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director-General of Environment; Kurt Vandenberghe, Director-General Climate Action; and Charlina Vitcheva, Director-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, in addition to representatives from the European External Action Service (EEAS). The discussions focused on advancing joint efforts in water sustainability in the lead-up to 2026 UNWC, broader climate adaptation strategies, mitigating climate change, and enhancing cooperation ahead of the UN Ocean Conference 2025 in France.
