Date: 12–13 June 2025
Location: UNESCO Headquarters, Paris

The 1st UNESCO Water Youth Dialogue successfully brought together 60 young water professionals and advocates from around the world for a 2 day high-impact exchange at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Held on 12 and 13 June 2025, the event was co-organized by UNESCO, and several youth organizations, in the context of the 50th anniversary of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) and 60 years of UNESCO’s commitment to water sciences.

This Dialogue served as a platform for intergenerational exchange, connecting youth leaders with members of the UNESCO Water Family, IHP, and UN-Water, and supporting youth engagement in shaping inclusive, sustainable water policies.

What Took Place
Throughout the Dialogue, participants engaged in:
● Capacity-building sessions on sustainable water governance
● Interactive discussions with senior water experts from UNESCO and partner institutions
● Collaborative workshops to co-create a global youth-led vision for water
● Presentations of locally implemented youth-led water projects

The Dialogue emphasized youth-driven innovation, solidarity, and collective action as essential components in addressing today’s water challenges.

Launch of the Water Youth Strategy
The highlight of the event was the finalization and presentation of the “Water Youth Strategy”, a collaborative outcome of the Dialogue. This unified document reflects the shared priorities, commitments, and action plans of young water advocates worldwide and outlines their vision for water governance ahead of the UN 2026 Water Conference.

The Strategy was formally handed over to UNESCO during the closing ceremony, marking a historic moment of youth contribution to global water policy.

Partners and Contributors

The Dialogue was made possible through the contributions of a dedicated task force of youth organizations and institutions, including:

Task Force Youth Organizations

● International Secretariat for Water
● UNESCO Groundwater Youth Network (GWYN)
● Association of Young Water and Sanitation Professionals in Senegal (AJPEAS)
● Association des Professionnels de l’Eau et des Déchets (ASTEE)
● Central Asia Youth for Water Network (CAY4W)
● Early Career Hydrogeologists Network – International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH–ECHN)
● Ecohydrology Youth Network (EHYN)
● European Youth Parliament for Water (EYPW)
● IHE Delft Institute for Water Education
● Instituto Águas Resilientes
● International Water Association – Young Water Professionals (France)
● International Water Resources Association (IWRA)
● Réseau Eau et Climat des Organisations de Jeunes d’Afrique Centrale (RECOJAC)
● Swiss Water Partnership Youth
● UNESCO for Ecohydrology Youth Network
● UNESCO Youth Climate Action Network (YoU-CAN)
● Water Youth Network
● Wavemakers United Foundation
● World Water Council – Youth Delegates
● World Youth Parliament for Water (WYPW)

Participating Youth Organizations

● 1 Million Youth Actions Challenge (1MYAC)
● Action-Formation-Recherche en Eau (AFR’eau)
● Oxford Water Network
● UNESCO International Centre for Water Security and Sustainable Management (i-WSSM)
● Youth Constituency of the UNFCCC (YOUNGO)

Looking Ahead

The 1st UNESCO Water Youth Dialogue marked the beginning of a new era in youth-led water action. With the Water Youth Strategy now in hand, the focus turns to implementation, regional mobilization, and continued collaboration with global institutions on the road to the UN 2026 Water Conference and the 2027 World Water Forum.

For more information

For more information about the event, please contact: groundwater@unesco.org