Retno MARSUDI (UN Special Envoy for Water): “Technical solutions exist, but sometimes it is more important to focus on water governance.”

As part of the IWRA World Water Congress, Councillor Marco Rago, Vice President of the Organizing Committee of the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum, participated in the High-Level Panel “Water Governance in a Changing World: Strengthening Institutions & Multilateral Cooperation at Different Levels.”
The event opened with a Keynote Lecture by the United Nations Special Envoy for Water, Retno Marsudi, who adopted an original and meaningful approach: “First, we must strengthen coherence and global governance in the management of water resources; second, promote innovation and data; third, enhance capacity and expand partnerships and financing.”

Councillor Marco Rago emphasized several points from Marsudi’s speech, including the importance of reinforcing the water governance framework rather than focusing solely on technical aspects. This is also one of the main recommendations that emerged from the preparatory process of the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum, which will take place in Rome in 2026. During the four regional meetings (Tunis, Bari, Cairo, and Amman), the priority need for cooperation, knowledge exchange, and capacity-building initiatives clearly emerged. These efforts aim not only to improve national regulations, reduce internal fragmentation, and promote community and citizen participation, but also to strengthen diplomacy and blue finance.

In line with these indications, the Italian government, together with other partners, is working on the Union for the Mediterranean Water Declaration, which will be approved at the ministerial meeting in March 2026 in Rome.
Regarding international governance and “Blue Diplomacy,” Councillor Rago highlighted Italy’s intention to support UNECE’s efforts to increase the number of ratifications of the 1992 Convention ahead of the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, as well as the continued support of Italian Cooperation for the Secretariat of OMVS (Organization for the Development of the Senegal River), a virtuous example of joint management of transboundary waters.

Finally, referring to the last point of the Special Envoy’s intervention, attention was drawn to Blue Finance and innovative financial instruments. These will be key topics both at the Union for the Mediterranean Ministerial Meeting—where the “UfM Recommendations on Water Finance” will be approved—and at the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum in September 2026 in Rome.

In particular, Marco Rago recalled that the goal is to involve the four “worlds” of Blue Finance. On one side, national public finance, including President Meloni’s proposal to make better and greater use of resources that may derive from “debt reduction and conversion.” On the other, international banks and funds, which have resources available but often operate through lengthy and complex procedures that make access difficult for the countries that need them. Alongside public finance, there is private finance, which is designing and testing new financial instruments such as blue bonds, water credits, and the use of carbon credits for water-related projects. Finally, no less important, the insurance sector is increasingly engaged in the prevention and management of disasters linked to climate change and water-related extremes, and is developing increasingly specific and innovative insurance products.