Seventh session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health

The Seventh Session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health to the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) took place on 5-7 November 2025. The event was organized and hosted by Hungary at the Balna Congress Center in Budapest.

The meeting brought together senior representatives of Parties to the Protocol, observer countries, international organizations, and individual experts. From Central Asia, delegations from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan took part.

This session held particular significance as it marked the 20th anniversary of the Protocol’s entry into force. Since its adoption, the Protocol has provided countries across the pan-European region with a robust institutional and legal framework to support the fulfillment of national and international commitments on water supply, sanitation, hygiene, and health. These commitments include those outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Declaration of the Seventh Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health (Budapest, 5–7 July 2023). The Protocol has also contributed to the progressive realization of the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, as recognized by UN General Assembly resolutions 64/292 and 70/169.

The Protocol aims to promote the protection of human health and well-being—both individually and collectively—at national, transboundary, and international levels as part of sustainable development. It supports improved water management, including the protection of aquatic ecosystems, and the prevention, control, and reduction of water-related diseases.

In line with established practice, the Meeting of the Parties is convened at intervals determined by the Parties, but no less than once every three years. The Sixth Session took place in 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Seventh Session opened with a High-Level Segment featuring welcoming remarks from senior representatives of Hungary, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Seventh session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health