Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Hany Sewilam, held a series of high-level bilateral meetings with officials from Finland, Germany, and the Geneva Water Hub on the sidelines of preparatory sessions for the upcoming United Nations Water Conference in Senegal.
In discussions with Finnish Water Envoy Antti Rautavaara, Sewilam praised the strong coordination between Egypt and Finland within the UN Water Conference dialogues, highlighting Finland’s role in fostering trust and credible cooperation among states. Both parties emphasized the growing importance of international collaboration on water management in the face of climate change and mounting pressure on global water resources. They also agreed that science-based dialogue and knowledge exchange are crucial for sustainable water governance and regional stability.
The talks underlined the need to balance national development objectives with international cooperation principles, particularly in transboundary river basins, while safeguarding the rights and interests of all stakeholders.
Separately, Sewilam met with Mark Zeitoun, Director of the Geneva Water Hub, to review ongoing training and capacity-building initiatives for Nile water officials. The discussions focused on expanding cooperation into a long-term institutional partnership, including training-of-trainers programs and joint initiatives in collaboration with the African Centre for Water and Climate Adaptation (PACWA), with potential outreach across the African continent.
In talks with Germany’s Deputy Environment Minister, Sewilam stressed the importance of turning international water commitments into practical implementation pathways, supported by dedicated financing, technical assistance, monitoring tools, and transparent governance mechanisms.
Sewilam further called for strengthening UN-Water’s monitoring role, expanding the mandate and resources of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Water, and conducting a comprehensive review of progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation. These measures, he said, would guide the formulation of the post-2030 global water agenda.
The meetings reflect Egypt’s ongoing efforts to position itself as a proactive leader in regional and global water diplomacy, emphasizing science-driven collaboration, capacity-building, and sustainable resource management.
