Shaping Law and Policy

The Geneva Water Hub advocates for the sharing and sparing of water as a catalyst for peace. It influences policy and legal frameworks at various levels, highlighting the benefits of transboundary and inter-sectoral water cooperation, harmonizing legal frameworks, and implementing the human right to water and sanitation.

The Geneva Water Hub advocates for the sharing and sparing of water, through which it can become a catalyst for peace, and does this by influencing policy and legal frameworks at local, regional, and international levels. We highlight, for example, the benefits of transboundary and inter-sectoral water cooperation, the merits of harmonizing national and international legal frameworks, and the obligation to implement the human right to water and sanitation everywhere. Keenly aware of the political dimensions that influence water use, the Geneva Water Hub shapes policy and law towards the use of water for peace.

Because water connects everyone everywhere, we also shape policy and law beyond the water sector, especially in humanitarian, peacebuilding, and development arenas. The Geneva Water Hub leverages its research and experience to engage with the most appropriate actors from these sectors, and also those that span policy boundaries. We provide critical, research-based analysis, share knowledge and take positions at key public and private policy-shaping events and processes throughout the world. We also initiate our own platforms for exchange and advocacy, such as the Group of Friends on Water for Peace and the Global Observatory on Water for Peace.

International Water Law Platform

The Geneva Water Hub, through its Platform for International Water Law, supports a better understanding of the principles and norms of international law regulating the utilization of shared water resources, including surface and groundwater. International relations and legal studies are used as conceptual frameworks to support the development, interpretation and application of normative frameworks, with the aim to prevent and settle water and water-related disputes and therefore support peace.-

Group of Friends on Water and Peace

The Geneva Water Hub has played a pivotal role in establishing the Group of Friends on Water and Peace, comprising approximately forty countries represented by their Permanent Missions to the United Nations in Geneva. This active group convenes on a regular basis to deliberate on the issue and strategize ways to advance this critical topic on the global agenda, with the Geneva Water Hub serving as its Secretariat. The Group serves as an open and informal platform, providing representatives from interested countries with a space for dialogue, outreach, engagement, and dissemination among the broader international community. Membership in the Group of Friends on Water and Peace is open-ended, welcoming all Permanent Missions to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG). If you are interested in joining, please use the Contact form to inform us of your interest. -

Partnerships for Impact

Meaningful partnerships are key to effectively advancing our mission. As a Geneva-based organization, we have cultivated strong relationships within the Geneva ‘ecosystem’ and worldwide.-

Water Foresighting

The Geneva Water Hub spearheads forward-thinking initiatives on how water will shape future development, peacebuilding, and humanitarian agendas. Our Water Futures programme convened some of the world's most innovative thinkers at a workshop in October 2023. The objectives were threefold: to inspire and influence future generations, to document and share our ideas and insights, and to connect experienced individuals committed to pursuing pathways for water. The ideas generated are currently being developed in collaboration with the UN Futures Lab for integration into existing processes through a series of Water Foresighting workshops. From April 2024 to April 2025, the "strategic foresighting" method will ensure the mainstreaming of water for peace initiatives.-

Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace

The Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace was inaugurated on 16 November 2015 in Geneva with the mission of developing proposals to strengthen the global framework for preventing and resolving water-related conflicts. -

A Matter of Survival Report

The Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace developed the "A Matter of Survival" Report, which underscores that the global water challenge encompasses not only development and human rights but also peace and security.-

Global Observatory on Water and Peace

One of the primary recommendations of the Global High-Level Panel on Water for Peace was to establish the Global Observatory for Water and Peace (GOWP) to ensure that partners engaged in water cooperation address critical gaps within the global water architecture.-

Supporting Youth Engagement

At the Geneva Water Hub, we are committed to fostering youth engagement and empowerment on the theme of water for peace. We participate in events and platforms that advance youth perspectives on water for peace and strive to include youth representatives and in our own events and actions. By involving young people, we not only learn from their creativity and energy but also ensure that their voices are heard and valued in shaping the future of water in humanitarian, peacebuilding and development arenas.-

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