From the EU Blue Deal to the Water Resilience Strategy and beyond – European civil society contributions to the UN Water Conference

Save the date! 15 September 2026 

The UN Water Conference 2026 is a key milestone to accelerate global action on water, resilience and cooperation. As the EU prepares its contribution to this event, ensuring the visibility of European civil society perspectives is essential. 

The EESC has been actively contributing to the EU’s water policy agenda through its work on the EU Blue Deal, as well as through its recently adopted opinion on the EESC contribution to the UN Water Conference 2026 and its ongoing engagement with EU and international partners. 

Civil society organisations (CSOs) play a vital role in water governance, combining policy expertise and field experience across water access, ecosystems, resilience, economic activities, social inclusion and international cooperation. Their input is key to a credible, ambitious and inclusive EU contribution.

Against this background, on 15 September 2026, the Consultative Commission of the Industrial Change (CCMI) of the EESC will host a dedicated civil society event to:

·       Present the main recommendations of the EESC's work on the EU Blue Deal and the UN Water Conference;

·       Feed civil society perspectives into the EU’s preparations for the UN Water Conference;

·       Strengthen dialogue between CSOs, EU institutions and the EESC.

The event will feature a high-level opening, parallel thematic sessions aligned with the six UN Interactive Dialogues, and a final plenary to consolidate key messages. 

A draft programme of the event will be made available on this page and registrations will open soon.