UN-Water

What does faster progress on water and sanitation look like in practice?

It looks different in every country, but the ingredients are often similar: leadership, partnerships, investment and persistence.

The SDG 6 Country Acceleration Case Studies explore how countries are turning commitments into action and overcoming barriers to progress.

Because achieving is not about finding new solutions everywhere. It is often about learning from what already works.

Explore the case studies: https://www.unwater.org/publications/country-acceleration-case-studies

Applications for in-person side events at the 2026 UN Water Conference close on 31 July.

The 2026 UN Water Conference will take place 8–10 December 2026 in Abu Dhabi, co-hosted by the Republic of Senegal and the United Arab Emirates.

A limited number of side events will complement the official programme, providing opportunities to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships and accelerate action towards Sustainable Development Goal 6.

Before applying, please read the Application Guidelines and submit your proposal through the official application form.

Find everything you need here: https://sdgs.un.org/conferences/water2026/events/side-events

⚽💧 One ball. One goal. Water and sanitation for all.
Sport has the power to unite people—and inspire action.

Watch this SDG Media Zone discussion on the campaign and learn how collaboration across countries and sectors can help accelerate progress towards universal access to safe water and sanitation.

The discussion also features the launch of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2026.

📄 Read the report: https://www.unwater.org/publications/sdg-6-synthesis-report-2026
🎥 Watch on UN WebTV: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k17/k170dp8w2t
Or on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jO8ZEmWKbHk

"Everybody has a role to play" in AI governance.

As the Global Dialogue on AI Governance and the AI for Good Summit begin in Geneva, Professor Kaveh Madani, Director of UNU-INWEH, highlights the importance of shared responsibility in managing artificial intelligence.

In this interview with UN News, he explains why governments, technology companies and users all have a role in reducing AI's environmental footprint and ensuring it delivers more benefits than costs.

🎧 Listen here.

‘Everybody has a role to play’ in AI governance, UN expert says As governments, industry leaders and researchers gather in Geneva on Monday for the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance and the AI for Good Summit, a UN expert says managing artificial intelligence responsibly will require action from everyone, not just policymakers.Professor Kaveh Madani, Direct...

Ten years of SDG 6: what have we learned — and what needs to happen next?

A new policy brief from IISD highlights key findings from the forthcoming UN SDG 6 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2026.

The report shows that real progress has been made over the past decade, with nearly 1 billion more people gaining access to safely managed drinking water and more than 1 billion gaining access to safely managed sanitation. Yet progress remains too slow and uneven to achieve SDG 6 by 2030.

The brief explores what has driven success, where the biggest gaps remain, and why the years leading up to the 2026 UN Water Conference represent a critical opportunity to accelerate action.

📖 Read the 5-minute summary: https://sdg.iisd.org/commentary/policy-briefs/un-sdg-6-synthesis-report-on-water-and-sanitation-scaling-solutions-for-2030-and-beyond/

Today, the UN SDG 6 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2026 is being launched during the SDG 6 Special Event at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development ( ).

📅 Learn more about today's event: https://www.unwater.org/news/high-level-political-forum-sustainable-development-2026

📄 Access the report: https://www.unwater.org/publications/sdg-6-synthesis-report-2026

📢 Happening today: SDG 6 Special Event at the High-level Political Forum ( )

Join us live as UN-Water and UN DESA co-host the sixth annual SDG 6 Special Event at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The programme includes the launch of the UN SDG 6 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2026, new SDG 6 Country Acceleration Case Studies, and a high-level discussion on accelerating action towards the 2026 UN Water Conference.

🗓️ Tuesday, 7 July
🕒 15:00–18:00 EDT (UTC-4)

🎥 Watch live on UN Web TV: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1k/k1k4cqq1ix

More information: https://www.unwater.org/news/high-level-political-forum-sustainable-development-2026

Looking for SDG 6 and -related events during the 2026 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development?

From 6–16 July, UN Headquarters will host a wide range of discussions and events on water and sanitation, climate resilience, sustainable development and preparations for the 2026 UN Water Conference.

Explore the full list of SDG 6 and water-related events:
https://www.unwater.org/news/high-level-political-forum-sustainable-development-2026

Necessity is the mother of invention.

In some water-scarce regions, communities are capturing freshwater directly from fog. Specially designed mesh collectors harvest tiny water droplets from the air and channel them into storage tanks for use by people, agriculture and ecosystems.

Fog water harvesting systems are already being used in a number of countries where conditions are suitable. As highlighted in the UN-Water Analytical Brief on Unconventional Water Resources, collecting atmospheric moisture can be a vital additional water source where rainfall is low and erratic and groundwater is difficult to access.

Read FAO's story:
https://www.fao.org/newsroom/story/capturing-fog-to-make-water/en

Learn more about unconventional water resources:
https://www.unwater.org/publications/un-water-analytical-brief-unconventional-water-resources-0

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