11th Meeting of the Group of Friends on Water and Peace

The event aimed to address the critical issue of protecting access to water and sanitation during armed conflicts, in line with evolving international human rights and humanitarian law frameworks.

The session commenced with opening remarks by H.E. Yackoley Kokou Johnson, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Togo, and was moderated by H.E. Dieudonné W. Désiré Sougouri, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso. Key panelists included:

• Mr. Léo Heller, UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation (via video conference)
• Mr. Rio Hada, Team Leader, Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Ms. Mara Tignino, Lead Legal Specialist at the Geneva Water Hub and Senior Lecturer, University of Geneva
• Mr. Nisar Syed, Head of Global Cluster Coordination Unit, UNICEF

Discussions centered on the following themes:

• The legal foundations of the human rights to water and sanitation and their recognition by the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council.
• The growing importance of protecting water infrastructure in conflict zones, as emphasized in the Geneva List of Principles on the Protection of Water Infrastructure, which was presented during the session.
• The role of international humanitarian law in safeguarding access to water during crises and armed conflicts.

The event concluded with remarks by H.E. Georges Nakseu-Nguefang, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, and Mr. François Münger, Director General of the Geneva Water Hub. The session facilitated a constructive dialogue among diplomats, UN agencies, and civil society representatives, with the goal of identifying concrete actions to enhance water governance and protection during humanitarian crises.