Women water and gender experts from Central Asia and the South Caucasus contribute to global water agenda

On February 27, an online seminar "Advancing Water Cooperation through Global and Regional Platforms: Building Momentum towards the UN Water Conference" brought together members of the Women in Water Management Network in Central Asia and Afghanistan and the Women in Water Diplomacy Network in the South Caucasus.

The event was held under the auspices of the OSCE ExB project "Women, Water Management, and Conflict Prevention – Phase III." This initiative aims to contribute to more inclusive water governance and to strengthen the capacity of women water professionals to take leading roles in transboundary water cooperation.

The seminar centered on elevating women’s leadership in transboundary water diplomacy and aligning regional priorities with the United Nations agenda - specifically the "Water for Cooperation" interactive dialogue of the 2026 UN Water Conference. Participants explored how the practical insights from Central Asia and the South Caucasus - two regions defined by high transboundary interdependence - can be formally integrated into global discourse to shape international water policy.

Particular attention was paid to the upcoming Dushanbe Water Conference recognized as a critical regional milestone leading up to the 2026 global water event.

Sogol Jafarzadeh of the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) outlined the strategic roadmap for both the Dushanbe and UN Water Conferences.

Other distinguished speakers included:

• Zulfiya Suleimenova, Ambassador-at-large of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, who presented the nation’s global initiatives ahead of the UN Conference.
• Yolanda Lopez, representing the Women in Water Diplomacy Network, who provided a briefing on the outcomes of the High-Level Preparatory Meeting in Dakar.

During the open dialogue - the first in a series of preparatory sessions for 2026 - Oygul Usmanova, SIC ICWC and member of the Women in Water Management Network in Central Asia and Afghanistan, advocated for the promotion of science diplomacy, including through the lens of the water-energy-land nexus, at both regional and global levels.

The participants reached a consensus that increasing women's expert participation is not a mere formality, but a fundamental requirement for enhancing the quality of negotiations and ensuring the long-term sustainability of water-related decisions.

Ultimately, the seminar served as a practical catalyst for forging a unified regional position, poised to influence global processes on water diplomacy and broader sustainable development agenda.