Nairobi, July 15, 2026 – A roundtable was held at the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) to discuss Kazakhstan's initiative to establish an International Water Organization under the auspices of the United Nations. The event was attended by delegations from UN member states, UNEP leadership, and international experts.
In his welcoming remarks, the Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the UN Office in Nairobi, Ambassador Barlybai Sadykov, briefed participants in detail on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to establish a specialized international water organization. He also presented the outcomes of the roundtable held on the sidelines of the Regional Environmental Summit in Astana in April 2026.
Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Zulfiya Suleimenova, joined the event virtually and provided comprehensive answers to the participants' questions.
Expert presentations were delivered by:
Ms. Tariro Mbiba, International Affairs and Policy Specialist at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), who presented the key findings of the Global Water Bankruptcy report.
Dr. Mark Smith, Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), who highlighted the functioning of the global water architecture, including within the UN system.
H.E. Evelyne Habonimana, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Burundi to UNON. Representing the 2026 Chairmanship of the African Union, she delivered a report on the AU's water concept and policy, Africa Water Vision 2063.
Dr. Susan Gardner, Director of the Ecosystems Division at UNEP, who shared her expert insights on marine and freshwater ecosystems.
Following the expert presentations, an extensive discussion took place featuring remarks from the ambassadors and diplomatic representatives of Azerbaijan, Botswana, Burundi, Egypt, the EU, Iran, Indonesia, Kenya, Morocco, Peru, Russia, Rwanda, Romania, Serbia, Somalia, the USA, Türkiye, Sri Lanka, France, and Ethiopia.
The discussions helped identify the most critical aspects to be addressed in the further advancement of the initiative. A number of states voiced their full support for Kazakhstan's proposal, confirming their readiness to work closely together on its future promotion.
