Water is a dealmaker for the Sustainable Development Goals, and for the health and prosperity of people and planet. But our progress on water related goals and targets remains alarmingly off track, jeopardizing the entire sustainable development agenda.

It is a call to action to every single person on the planet to accelerate change to solve the water crisis around the world. It marks a watershed moment that call governments, companies and individuals to take concerted actions and commitments to achieve the internationally agreed water-related goals and targets, including those contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is the most important water event in a generation, the first event of its kind for nearly 50 years, thus we must make it successful and impactful.

From 22 to 24 March 2023 the world will come together in New York during the UN 2023 Water Conference. The Conference is convened by the UN General Assembly and co-hosted by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Republic of Tajikistan.

FAO’s involvement in the UN 2023 Water Conference

Several important actions towards the UN 2023 Water Conference have been already initiated, including the Rome Water Dialogue held at the FAO Headquarters on 29 November 2022, the Africa Regional Workshop on National Water Roadmaps organized on 22-24 February in Zimbabwe to foster collective action at national level for the development of National Water Roadmaps towards the 2030 Agenda. Recognizing that water is central to achieving all SDGs, FAO has also included water on the agendas of all governing bodies, and water will be the theme of this year’s FAO Conference in July.  

At the UN 2023 Water Conference, FAO Director-General Dr. QU Dongyu will moderate the Interactive Dialogue 5 on "Water Action Decade: Accelerating the implementation of the objectives of the Decade, including through the UN Secretary-General’s Action Plan". FAO as the UN co-lead agencies together with the UN Development Programme and the World Bank will also provide technical support to the Interactive Dialogue 2 on “Water for Development: Valuing Water, Water-Energy-Food Nexus and Sustainable Economic and Urban Development”. FAO will  organize the Side Event on National Water Roadmaps, co-partner and support three Special Events and 20 or so Side Events as described below.