The UN Water Conference Academic Hub is a UN-Water initiative co-led by the United Nations University, UNESCO, and UNITAR, in close collaboration with UN DESA and other UN-Water Members and Partners, the Hub strengthens the connection between evidence and global policy-making. It serves as a space for knowledge exchange, bringing together diverse voices including academics, youth, women, and contributors from the Global South while complementing existing initiatives.
The University of Technology Institute for Sustainable Futures (UTS-ISF), the United Nations University Institute of Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) plan to convene an Asia-Pacific consultation to contribute to the UN Water Conference (UNWC) in December 2026.
The consultation will bring together researchers from across Asia and the Pacific to identify knowledge, perspectives and priority messages to inform the UNWC and Accelerate the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
It will focus on how recent research and diverse forms of knowledge can contribute to Interactive Dialogue A – Water for People and its intersections with other interactive dialogues, supporting representation of Asia and Pacific perspectives in global discussions, as well as discussing the role of universities and research organisations in building capacity and expertise of the next generation of water professionals.
The consultation will also increase awareness of the UN Water Conference Academic Hub and create pathways for academics and research organisations in the region to contribute relevant knowledge products and engage in the wider conference process (in 2026 and beyond), as well as strengthening networks of water academics in Asia and the Pacific.