The 2026 UN World Water Development Report links water access and gender equality, reviews progress, and shows how evidence turns policy into actions benefiting all.
Held alongside the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), this high-level event will convene global leaders and champions of water and gender equality. The discussion will elevate political attention to the interlinkages between women’s and girls’ rights, access to clean water and sanitation, feminist water governance, and sustainable development.
The event will present clear policy messages and strategic recommendations, showing how advancing the rights, empowerment, and leadership of women and girls drives progress across the Sustainable Development Goals.
UNESCO and the UN World Water Report
UNESCO established the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) in 2000 in response to a call from the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) to produce a UN system-wide periodic global overview of the status in terms of quantity and quality, use and management of freshwater resources.
One of UNESCO WWAP main activities is the production of the United Nations World Water Development Report (UN WWDR). Consequently, WWAP, through the World Water Development Reports and complementary activities, aims to equip water managers and policy- and decision-makers with knowledge, tools and skills necessary to formulate and implement sustainable water policies.
Since 2007, UNESCO WWAP is funded by the Government of Italy.