Media Accreditation for 2026 UN Water Conference Closes 13 November
Journalists have until 13 November 2026 to pre-register for the UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi, 8–10 December. See the programme and key facts.
Media Accreditation for the 2026 UN Water Conference Closes on 13 November
Journalists wishing to cover the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi must pre-register online by 13 November 2026, according to a UN media advisory. Accreditation is reserved for members of the press who represent a bona fide media organisation, and details are in the Participate tab of the conference website.
Programme
The conference runs 8–10 December 2026, co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal. It will feature seven plenary sessions and six interactive dialogues: Water for Cooperation, Water for Prosperity, Investments in Water, Water for People, Water for Planet, and Water in Multilateral Processes. High-level side events will showcase partnerships, innovation and commitments to speed up progress on SDG 6.
Why the UN calls it urgent
As of 2024, 2.1 billion people still lacked safely managed drinking water and 3.4 billion lacked safely managed sanitation. The conference is expected to produce new partnerships, financing commitments and innovative solutions.
Background
The conference will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. It is only the third UN Water Conference in 50 years and the first dedicated to accelerating implementation of SDG 6. UAE Assistant Foreign Minister Abdulla Balalaa has called on the world not to treat it as business as usual.
Media resources
The UN offers a list of experts on request, and its hashtag is #WaterAction. The UN Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit can be reached at malu@un.org.
Conclusion
With the deadline about nine days away, journalists planning to attend should register soon. The six dialogues and the focus on financing and implementation give reporters a clear set of stories to follow in December.
Source: UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Media Advisory, 26 October 2026 (un.org); The National, 31 October 2026; UN-Water, 14 October 2026.
