EU Statement – UN High Level Political Forum: SDG 6 and interlinkages with other SDGs – Water and sanitation’
Mr President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The Candidate Countries North Macedonia*, Montenegro*, Albania*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* as well as Armenia, Monaco and San Marino align themselves with this statement.
Water is at the heart of sustainable development, as it is a powerful connector across the SDGs. Yet progress on SDG 6 remains off track. Accelerating implementation requires not only greater ambition, but more integrated, better financed and more cooperative action across sectors and across borders.
Mr President,
For the European Union and its Member States, delivering on SDG 6 means advancing water resilience as a foundation for the entire 2030 Agenda. This is reflected in the EU Water Resilience Strategy, which recognises the interdependence of water, food, energy and ecosystems. It also promotes a more integrated and forward-looking approach to water management. We support action to improve water efficiency, strengthen ecosystem restoration, enhance preparedness for droughts, floods and water scarcity. We also support reinforced governance based on river basin management, data, innovation and stakeholder participation. In doing so, we contribute directly to SDG 6 while also supporting progress across other SDGs.
We also recognise that financing remains a critical challenge. We need to mobilise more public and private capital for resilient water and sanitation services, ecosystem restoration, water-efficient technologies and climate adaptation. But financing must be matched by enabling policy frameworks, stronger institutions, workforce capacity, and better project pipelines. We therefore support efforts to strengthen water governance, improve transparency and accountability, and promote investment models that are inclusive, risk-informed and aligned with long-term sustainability.
Transboundary water cooperation is another indispensable pillar of progress. More than 60 per cent of the world’s freshwater flows through shared basins. Effective cooperation across borders is therefore not optional; it is essential for resilience, peace, stability and sustainable development.
Mr President,
The 2026 UN Water 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. The Conference should be inclusive of all stakeholders, and we hope that it will be a stepping stone towards a more structured engagement on water at the UN.
The EU and its Member States remain committed to working with partners to accelerate progress on SDG 6 through integrated water management, stronger resilience, inclusive governance and enhanced transboundary water cooperation. Water must be recognised not only as a sectoral priority, but as a strategic enabler of sustainable development, climate resilience and security.
I thank you.
- North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.