EU Explanation of Position: UN General Assembly: Modalities of the 2028 United Nations Water Conference (Agenda item 18: Sustainable Development)

President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the EU and its Member States. 

At the outset, we would like to welcome Tajikistan’s commitment to advance the global water agenda by organizing the 2028 UN Water Conference. We also appreciate Tajikistan’s efforts to bring us to a balanced resolution that sets out the modalities of this conference. 

The 2023 UN Water Conference, co-hosted by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Tajikistan, generated significant political momentum and commitment towards enhancing water action at all levels, including through the Water Action Agenda. We welcome the important developments that have taken place since then. These include the launch of the first UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation, the appointment of the first UN Special Envoy on Water, and the adoption of resolution 77/334 mandating the 2026 and the 2028 UN Water Conferences. 

We are now looking forward to the next conference that will be held this December in Abu Dhabi. This conference will be a critical milestone to maintain political momentum and strengthen accountability for implementation. It should help translate commitments into measurable action, promote scalable solutions, and reinforce coherence between the water agenda and the wider 2030 Agenda. We see the 2026 conference as a foundational moment towards a more structured engagement on water at the UN and a first input towards the start of the beyond-2030 discussions starting in 2027. In this regard we particularly look forward to the outcomes emerging from Interactive Dialogue E on ‘Water in Multilateral Processes’.

President,

With respect to the resolution before us on the modalities for the 2028 UN Water Conference, it is essential for the 2028 Conference to build on the outcomes of the 2026 Conference. We are concerned that the inclusion in OP5 of a “Dushanbe Water Framework” as the sole outcome document of the 2028 Conference, prejudges the discussions that will be held this December. We therefore emphasise that the 2026 Conference will have its own outcomes that need to be reflected in the 2028 Conference. When it comes to the negotiation of a “Dushanbe Water Framework” ahead of the 2028 Conference, we would like to stress that we read PP26 and OP18 of this modalities resolution as requiring that framework to build on relevant outcomes from the 2026 Conference. We would not be in a position to support any framework that would not meet this requirement. We also believe that the negotiations on a framework should start only after the 2026 Conference. Finally, we should ensure that the negotiations do not pre-empt the UN80 reform process by adding another layer of governance before we decide how water will be integrated into a more coherent, efficient UN system, including post 2030. We trust that our positions will be fully acknowledged and reflected in the upcoming negotiations, in which case we look forward to engaging constructively in them.

President,

Despite our serious concerns about a “Dushanbe Water Framework”, the EU and its Member States are able to support this resolution and trust that our position as expressed today will be taken into account. We believe that today’s consensual adoption demonstrates that the world continues to be united in addressing the global water crisis through multilateralism.

In conclusion, we look forward to continuing to work together with all Member States on global water action.

I thank you.