Senegal seeks coherent and inclusive participation from national water stakeholders at the United Nations Water Conference, scheduled for December 2026 in the United Arab Emirates. It is within this framework that the Ministry of Water and Sanitation organized a national workshop in Dakar on Thursday to mobilize Senegalese water stakeholders for the high-level preparatory meeting for the UN Water Conference.

This meeting, chaired by Minister Cheikh Tidiane Dièye, has the general objective of preparing in a coherent and inclusive manner the participation of national actors in the high-level meeting in Dakar, by consolidating Senegal's priorities, messages and recommendations for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference.

As part of the preparation for this major event, which Senegal will have the honor of co-organizing with the United Arab Emirates, a high-level preparatory meeting is planned in Dakar on January 26 and 27, 2026, with the participation of, among others, UN member states, technical and financial partners, civil society, the private sector, the research community, young people, and representatives of the United Nations system.

As a major event, this high-level meeting in Dakar will lay the groundwork for the conference by contributing to the effectiveness of its preparations, reviewing progress made and gaps observed in achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, and exploring ideas and avenues for action to accelerate the achievement of water-related goals and targets. The aim is to launch discussions and facilitate alignment among stakeholders around the six themes of the Conference's interactive dialogues. Hence the holding of this national mobilization workshop to ensure effective and inclusive coordination.

During this information and exchange meeting between water stakeholders and partners on the objectives, challenges, themes, and expected outcomes of the conference, aimed at building a common position for Senegal, the Minister reiterated the importance of this high-level preparatory meeting in Dakar. According to him, it should allow for the consolidation of the content of the six interactive dialogues, the alignment of stakeholder priorities with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda, the development of strategic directions, and the structuring of draft political messages for the conference. The meeting also marks the starting point of a strong diplomatic momentum, from Dakar to Abu Dhabi, leading up to the December 2026 conference.

The minister also maintained that this national mobilization of stakeholders is part of a long-term strategy, namely the "Senegal 2050" Vision, which places water and sanitation at the heart of the country's structural transformation, considering them essential drivers of social justice, climate resilience, and economic competitiveness. This vision, he argued, "is being realized through structuring investments such as seawater desalination projects and the 'water highways' initiative to secure the water supply for urban and economic centers, as well as through major institutional reforms, notably the establishment of a Water Sector Regulatory Authority (ARSE), designed to strengthen governance, transparency, and service performance."

In this regard, the state authority reports that the 2026 United Nations Water Conference and the high-level meeting in Dakar offer Senegal "a strategic opportunity to link its national priorities, African ambitions and global dynamics".

In closing, the minister maintained that the choice of Senegal to co-host this major global event with the United Arab Emirates was by no means accidental. According to him, it underscores "Senegal's growing political role as a credible, committed, and unifying actor on issues related to water and sanitation."

It should be noted that the high-level preparatory meeting for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference will be held in Dakar on January 26 and 27, 2026, at the Abdou Diouf International Conference Centre in Diamniadio (CICAD). It will be organised by the Government of Senegal and the United Arab Emirates, in collaboration with the United Nations and with the support of other partners.

It is also worth recalling that the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, aimed at accelerating the achievement of SDG 6, “ensuring access to sustainablely managed water supply and sanitation services for all”, co-organized by the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Senegal, will be held in the United Arab Emirates in December 2026 and will bring a spirit of solidarity and collective action to realize the promise of SDG 6.