Delivered By: HE Mohamed Abushahab, Ambassador and Permanent Representative
Thank you, Ambassador Hikmat.
Foreign Minister Muhriddin, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
On behalf of the Republic of Senegal and the United Arab Emirates, I thank the Republic of Tajikistan for its leadership in organizing this World Water Day celebration, which we are delighted to co-sponsor.
As co-hosts of the 2026 UN Water Conference, it is a real privilege to be here with so many champions of the global water agenda, to share our vision for delivering a successful, transformative, and inclusive conference that accelerates the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6.
This year’s World Water Day takes place against a challenging backdrop, with crises unfolding in many parts of the world, including in my own region. But these challenges do not alter our determination for a successful conference.
Safe and secure access to water and sanitation underpins our progress on every SDG, and with it, our vision for a more peaceful world.
Yet the reality we face today is stark, especially for women and girls.
The numbers are staggering and worth repeating:
4 billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year.
1.8 billion people lack on-site drinking water, with women and girls bearing the bulk of the burden of water collection, spending an estimated 250 million hours globally per day collecting water – three times more than men and boys.
The theme of this year’s World Water Day – “Water and Gender” – strikes at the very heart of this vulnerability. We cannot achieve SDG 6 without acknowledging that the global water crisis is disproportionately a crisis for women and girls.
At the same time, lasting transformation requires that we listen to and empower those most affected. We must place women and girls at the center of inclusive and actionable water solutions.
Evidence, including studies by the Women for Water Partnership, proves that when women are the architects of water policy, systems are inherently more sustainable and resilient.
This is why gender-responsive solutions will be a priority throughout our planning for the 2026 UN Water Conference and its six interactive dialogues. The Interactive Dialogue on “Water for People” will be particularly relevant, with its focus on the socio-economic elements of water issues and the fundamental human right to water and sanitation.
But governments will not be able to advance progress on this issue alone. We need strong engagement and collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders across civil society, the private sector and academia, with the participation of youth, Indigenous Peoples, and women and girls.
Together with Senegal, we are committed to a gender-inclusive, consultative approach, built on the principle that every voice matters. Over the past 18 months, we have already held more than 20 consultations. We also held two rounds of online stakeholder consultations, which received more than 700 submissions from a broad range of participants.
We urge all of you to remain engaged in the conference preparations, and look forward to welcoming you to Abu Dhabi at the end of the year.
It is our hope that, together, we can achieve breakthroughs towards achieving universal and equitable access to water and sanitation for all.
Thank you.