One Water at the 43rd UN-Water Meeting

Rome, 24–25 March 2026 — The One Water Committee participated in the 43rd UN-Water Meeting, held on 24–25 March at the headquarters of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome. The meeting brought together United Nations agencies, institutional representatives, research centers, technical organizations, and international partners with the aim of advancing the implementation of the UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation and contributing to the preparations for the 2026 UN Water Conference, scheduled for December.
In this context, the Italian delegation, led by Councillor Marco Rago, reaffirmed its commitment to actively contribute to the preparatory processes, highlighting the role of the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum as a platform connecting the regional dimension with the global debate. In particular, the intention to channel evidence, recommendations, and outcomes from the Forum into the process leading to the UN Conference was emphasized.
Over the two days, discussions were structured around the five pillars of the UN Strategy: strengthening collective leadership, supporting countries, fostering cross-sectoral integration, accelerating the achievement of the SDGs through the five global “accelerators” (finance, data, capacity development, innovation, and governance), and conducting joint reviews of progress. The dialogue addressed key water-related challenges, including water scarcity and drought management, wastewater treatment, water quality, technological innovation, and SDG 6 monitoring.
The meeting also provided an important opportunity to present the roadmap towards the Euro-Mediterranean Water Forum, to be held in Rome from 29 September to 2 October 2026. The Forum is envisioned as a multi-stakeholder platform capable of engaging public decision-makers, the scientific community, civil society, and the private sector.