UN Water Conference Side Event "Inclusive Water Governance for Peace, Security and Climate Resilience"

The session explores how people-centred transboundary water co-operation contributes to sustainable development and regional stability across the OSCE region. Drawing on experiences from the Dniester River Basin and Central Asia, it highlights inclusive Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), women’s leadership and community engagement as drivers of resilience and trust. Through OSCE-supported initiatives, the event highlights how transboundary water co-operation strengthens good neighbourly relations and regional security. It also presents practical measures, including restoring ecological flows, rehabilitating wetlands, protecting biodiversity and enhancing climate resilience, while launching policy briefs promoting gender-responsive water governance and supporting SDG 6 through stronger co-operation and inclusive decision-making.

This side event builds on the UN 2023 Water Conference Water Action Agenda, particularly the commitment "A Rising Tide of Support for Women in Water Diplomacy". It advances transboundary water co-operation, inclusive water governance, gender equality and capacity development through regional dialogue and policy recommendations. The event will launch joint policy briefs, strengthen the Women in Water Management Network and support the OSCE water management initiatives. It will also present the long-term work in the Dniester River Basin, showcasing the successful collaboration among the OSCE, UNDP, UNECE, and GEF, as a model for implementing integrated transboundary water management, strengthening co-operation between Moldova and Ukraine and advancing the objectives of the UN 2023 Water Conference Water Action Agenda.

The side event is organized in co-operation with Tajikistan, Moldova, Ukraine, United Nations University – Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), UNECE, UNDP and the Women in Water Diplomacy Network.