Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hany Sewilam, held bilateral meetings with officials from Finland, Germany, and the Geneva Water Hub on the sidelines of a high-level preparatory meeting for the United Nations Water Conference in Senegal. The talks focused on boosting international collaboration on water issues amid climate change pressures. Both sides agreed on the need for science-based dialogue to foster trust and sustainable management.
In talks with Finnish Water Envoy Antti Rautavaara, Sewilam praised the strong coordination between Egypt and Finland in the UN Water Conference's interactive dialogues, commending Finland's role in promoting trust-building and credible cooperation among states. Both sides emphasized the growing importance of international collaboration on water issues as climate change and mounting pressures on resources intensify global challenges. They agreed that science-based dialogue and knowledge exchange are essential for sustainable water management and regional stability.
The discussions also highlighted the need to respect the unique characteristics of different river basins and to balance national development needs with international cooperation principles—particularly in addressing transboundary water challenges without compromising states' rights or their peoples' interests.
In a separate meeting with Mark Zeitoun, Director of the Geneva Water Hub, Sewilam pointed to ongoing cooperation in training and capacity-building for officials on Nile water affairs. He expressed Egypt's aim to expand this into a long-term institutional partnership, including training-of-trainers programs and joint initiative development in cooperation with the African Centre for Water and Climate Adaptation (PACWA), with potential extension across the African continent.
Sewilam also met with Germany's Deputy Environment Minister, where the focus was on turning international water commitments into concrete implementation pathways. He called for support through dedicated financing, technical assistance, effective monitoring tools, and enhanced transparency mechanisms. The minister further stressed strengthening UN-Water's monitoring role and expanding the mandate and resources of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water. He urged a comprehensive review of global progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation to inform the post-2030 international water agenda.