UN-Water

29/05/2026

Applications are now open for the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.

The appointment will be made during the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council (7 September – 9 October 2026).

🗓 Deadline for applications: 9 June 2026 (12:00 Geneva time)

Learn more about the mandate and application process through the Human Rights Council Secretariat.

Appointments at the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council (7 September – 9 October 2026) What's new The call for applications for the mandate of Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions has been cancelled. The appointment is scheduled to be made at the 64th session o...

28/05/2026

28/05/2026

🩸 Happy Menstrual Hygiene Day 2026!

Today marks the launch of the global consultation on the draft Shared Agenda for Action on Menstrual Health and Hygiene — a collective effort to strengthen action, accountability and investment for menstrual health worldwide.

Menstrual health is linked to dignity, health, education, gender equality and climate resilience. Yet too many girls and women still face stigma, inadequate services and limited access to affordable products.

The public consultation is now open until 28 June, inviting governments, youth networks, civil society, UN agencies, academia and partners to help shape a shared vision for menstrual health.

🌍🩸 The global consultation for the Shared Agenda for Action on Menstrual Health and Hygiene is now open. This Shared Agenda has been developed by UNICEF, the Global Menstrual Collective, and partners from 50+ countries. It aims to guide evidence informed global action on menstrual health in th...

27/05/2026

How does the UN work with countries on water and sanitation?

Water connects health, food systems, climate resilience, education, jobs and economic development. That is why coordinated support matters.

The UN system works with countries in many different ways to help strengthen water and sanitation systems and accelerate progress on SDG 6.

Curious how the UN supports countries on water? Read more: on https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/questions-people-ask-how-un-works-countries-water-un-water-q7jre

27/05/2026

🩸 Menstrual health and hygiene are essential for dignity, education, health and equality.

On 28 May, the world marks Menstrual Hygiene Day 2026 under the theme — calling for stronger action to end stigma, improve access to menstrual products and information, and strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene services.

A draft “Shared Agenda for Action on MHH” will also be launched for public feedback, helping strengthen political commitment and investment worldwide.

Observed annually since 2014 and coordinated by WASH United, with support from organizations including the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), MH Day aims to raise awareness of the challenges many women and girls face in managing menstruation safely and with dignity. The annual campaign encourages action t...

25/05/2026

Groundwater Matters for People and Planet

Groundwater sustains communities, ecosystems, food systems and economies worldwide — yet its vital role often remains invisible.

Join the first webinar in a new series organised by the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) with the UN-Water Expert Group on Groundwater, contributing to the 2026 UN Water Conference.

🗓 27 May 2026 at 14:00–15:30 CEST
🗣 English with simultaneous interpretation in French and Spanish

The session will explore how groundwater supports people’s daily lives and interacts with climate, ecosystems and sustainable development.

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rMJ-63OiSx6MkNLX_hYfug #/registration

23/05/2026

| Technical Advisor, UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation

UN-Water is recruiting a Technical Advisor to support the implementation of the UN System-wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation and its Collaborative Implementation Plan.

The role will contribute to strengthening coordination, partnerships and integrated approaches across the UN system to help accelerate progress on SDG 6.

🌍 Home-based
📅 Application deadline: 29 May 2026

Key areas of work include:
💧 SDG 6 and country support
💧 UN system coordination
💧 Water and sanitation policy
💧 Climate, biodiversity and sustainable development linkages
💧 Knowledge products, workshops and stakeholder engagement

Apply here: https://careers.unops.org/careersmarketplace/JobDetail/3037

22/05/2026

Groundwater matters — for people and the planet.

Join the first webinar in the new three-part series Groundwater Matters, organized by the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) and the UN-Water Expert Group on Groundwater.

📅 27 May 2026
🕑 14:00–15:30 CEST
🌍 English with simultaneous interpretation in French and Spanish

The session will explore the role of groundwater in supporting people, ecosystems and sustainable development.

The upcoming webinars in the series will focus on:
💧 Groundwater for cooperation and multilateralism
💧 Groundwater for prosperity and investments

Register here ➡️ https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rMJ-63OiSx6MkNLX_hYfug #/registration

20/05/2026

Billions of people are still being left behind without safe water and sanitation.

A new UN policy brief shows that 2.1 billion people do not have safely managed drinking water and 3.4 billion do not have safely managed sanitation. Over 1,000 young children die every day from preventable causes linked to unsafe water.

The crisis is being intensified by environmental degradation, climate change and conflict. At the same time, inequality means the most vulnerable are hit hardest.

Women and girls spend a collective 250 million hours every day collecting water.

There are solutions. Around the world, communities and governments are demonstrating what works, from climate-resilient water systems in Bangladesh to fairer water pricing in Costa Rica.

Water is not just a resource. It is a human right.

Read more ⬇️
https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2026/04/environmental-degradation-leaves-billions-without-life-sustaining-water-and

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In a global context of environmental stressors, conflict, and the rise of frontier tech, a new UN policy brief presents a human rights-based approach to realizing the rights to water and sanitation for over 2 billion people worldwide.

18/05/2026

A simple solution with big impact

Rainwater harvesting in Jordan is helping farmers save water, reduce costs and increase their harvests—even under growing climate stress.

A new ILO study shows how these systems are improving livelihoods for both refugee and host communities, while inspiring wider adoption.

🔗 Learn more:

The study assesses more than 250 rainwater-harvesting units built in Jordan between 2016 and 2019 under an ILO project supporting Syrian refugees and Jordanian host communities through green works in agriculture and forestry. According to the findings, over 90 per cent of participating farmers spent...

16/05/2026

Clean water, sanitation and hygiene save lives.

Yet millions still lack access:
🚰 2.1 billion people without safe drinking water
🚽 3.4 billion without safe sanitation

The new WHO WASH Strategy 2026–2035 outlines how global action can improve health, strengthen partnerships and accelerate progress.

🔗 Learn more:

Unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) continue to drive at least 1.4 million preventable deaths each year, underscoring the scale of the global health challenge. Despite progress since 2015, 2.1 billion people still lack safely managed drinking water, while 3.4 billion lack safely managed sani...