Dear colleagues,

On behalf of the Interactive Dialogue 4 Facilitation Team – representing United Cities and Local Governments, International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), and the Women in Water Diplomacy Network – we are grateful for your interest in contributing to the Think Piece and preparation for the Water for Cooperation Dialogue at the Dakar One Day Stakeholder Meeting on 25 January.

Recognizing the short timeframe before our meeting, our team has developed an initial draft of the Think Piece, in which we attempt to reflect the priorities, outcomes and gaps related to Water for Cooperation from the 2023 UN Water Conference Final Report as well as the Background Note of the Secretary-General of the 2026 Conference.

As noted by other Interactive Dialogue groups, the Background Note informs our understanding and collective approach to the Think Piece, and we encourage you to review it prior to making your contributions.

We warmly invite you to contribute to the Think Piece in the following ways:

Review and comment on the draft document here;
Add your additional thoughts and suggestions to the dialogue preparation Miro Board under ID 4 – Water for Cooperation (you may need to scroll to the right).

We will close the Miro Board and the draft document at 15:00 CET on Thursday, January 22, in order to incorporate your feedback into a final draft of the Think Piece for the Stakeholder Meeting on January 25.

Thank you for contributing your time, expertise and insight to this important process, and for your understanding and accommodation of the short timelines. We sincerely value your input and look forward to collaborating with you. 

With best regards,

The ID4 – Water for Cooperation Facilitation Team:

Kader Makhlouf, Lead Facilitator / United Cities and Local Governments

Jean-Marie Kileshye Onema, Co-Facilitator / International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS)

Jeanene Mitchell, Rapporteur / Women in Water Diplomacy Network