The Water Diplomat: We need global action on Water Governance to Tackle the SDGs – starting this September.

Five hundred days have passed since the historic UN 2023 Water Conference. While both the progress on big promises and ambition shown at that conference have been slow, we are finally on the brink of a significant milestone: the imminent appointment of a UN Special Water Envoy by the UN Secretary-General. This appointment marks the beginning of a crucial reform in how the United Nations addresses water issues—a topic that has often been overlooked despite its fundamental importance.

The fragmented and insufficient approach to global water policy and governance worsens how current UN processes fail to fully recognize the pivotal role of water in achieving their objectives. Change is not just necessary but urgent. New system-wide reforms at the UN and beyond aim to shift this narrative, providing a coordinated and effective mechanism for a new approach to global water governance.