The One Water Summit, held in Riyadh on 3 December 2024 and co-organized by France, Kazakhstan, and the World Bank, in partnership with Saudi Arabia, brought together leaders and experts to address global water challenges. Transboundary water cooperation emerged as a key theme throughout the high-level discussions, highlighting the urgency of collaborative water management in achieving sustainable development.
President Emmanuel Macron of France underscored the critical importance of transboundary waters, which account for 60% of the world's freshwater flows. "Water issues cannot be solved on the national level," he stated, emphasizing the need for cross-border collaboration to ensure equitable and sustainable water management.
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reinforced the message, highlighting water's role in connecting people and ecosystems. "Water transcends borders," he noted, reaffirming Kazakhstan's commitment to fostering cooperative mechanisms for shared water resources.
Turkmenistan, an arid country highly reliant on shared water resources, also shared its experience. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, National Leader of the Turkmen People and Chairman of the People's Council, stressed the importance of adhering to international law, particularly the two UN Water Conventions, and involving international organizations in fostering collaboration.
Tools and solutions for cooperation
The Summit spotlighted the UN Water Convention, hosted by UNECE, as a key instrument for advancing transboundary water cooperation. Tatiana Molcean, UNECE Executive Secretary, emphasized: "The costs of inaction are too high, especially when we have the tools and instruments to act, like the Water Convention." She further stressed that "transboundary cooperation must remain high on the agenda in upcoming global processes - notably the 2026 UN Water conference - and in the discussions on the post 2030 agenda."
Initiatives announced
The Summit served as a platform to announce major initiatives aimed at accelerating water action:
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The Transboundary Water Cooperation Coalition's Knowledge Platform: This online platform, announced by the Transboundary Water Cooperation Coalition during the Summit, will serve as a global repository of best practices and solutions for managing shared water resources. The Coalition brings together 17 countries and over 20 international organizations (including UNECE), financial institutions, academia, and NGOs, the Coalition aims to advance water cooperation by showcasing its benefits and sharing practical tools for success.
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Freshwater Challenge: This country-led initiative aims to restore 300,000 km of degraded rivers and 350 million hectares of wetlands by 2030 while conserving intact freshwater ecosystems. During the Summit, Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, CEO of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), announced a US$5 million investment in the Freshwater Challenge.
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Water Footprint Commitment: The private sector announced an initiative to assess and manage water footprints in the private sector, emphasizing the importance of understanding water use throughout the supply chain to improve efficiency and sustainability.
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One Water Vision Coalition: Led by International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO) in partnership with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), this initiative brings together over 20 research institutions globally. It aims to leverage satellite technology and real-time data for better water resource management and remains open to new partners.
Shaping global water governance
The One Water Summit, which took place on the margins of the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 16) (2-13 December 2024), aimed to contribute to ongoing United Nations discussions and accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 (water and sanitation for all), building on the momentum of the 2023 UN Water Conference, ahead of the next UN Water Conference in 2026.
