Egypt, Japan Step Up Coordination Ahead of 2026 UN Water Conference

Egypt's Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Hani Sewilam met Japan's Special Envoy to the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, Yoko Kamikawa, to strengthen bilateral coordination ahead of the global gathering and advance preparations for a jointly chaired interactive dialogue.

The meeting, held during Sewilam's official visit to Japan, focused on Egyptian-Japanese cooperation in preparing for the 2026 U.N. Water Conference, including progress on the "Water and the Planet" interactive dialogue, which the two countries will co-chair, according to a statement from Egypt's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.

Sewilam praised what he described as the close partnership between Egypt and Japan, saying the preparations for the dialogue reflected transparency, mutual trust and effective coordination between the two countries' technical teams.

He said the strong level of cooperation represented a successful model of international collaboration in preparing for the conference.

The minister also highlighted the outcomes of the recent High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, saying broad agreement had been reached on the priorities of the "Water and the Planet" dialogue.

He said a joint statement presented by Egypt and Japan, together with consultations with U.N. member states and partners, had helped shape the conference's implementation agenda.

Sewilam added that a joint side event organized by the two countries underscored the need to address desertification, drought, water scarcity and heatwaves as interconnected challenges affecting water security and climate resilience.

The two sides also reviewed progress on flagship initiatives expected to be launched during the 2026 U.N. Water Conference.

Sewilam stressed the importance of introducing ambitious, actionable initiatives capable of delivering tangible results and creating a lasting legacy beyond the conference, while maintaining Egyptian-Japanese coordination on the conference process and its outcomes through to the 2028 U.N. Water Conference.

The meeting also discussed preparations for the "Ninth Cairo Water Week" , where Sewilam welcomed Kamikawa's planned participation.

He said the event would provide an important platform for co-chairs of the conference's interactive dialogues and key partners to finalize preparations and strengthen coordination ahead of the 2026 U.N. Water Conference.