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Contribute and help shape the global water agenda

The UN Water Conference Academic Hub exists to connect knowledge with action, and every contribution plays a vital role in shaping the global water agenda. By sharing your research, insights, or practical experiences, you help ensure that the discussions at the 2026 UN Water Conference are informed by the best available evidence and a diversity of perspectives.​

 

Contributions to the Hub allow policymakers, negotiators, and other stakeholders to access knowledge that might otherwise remain siloed or disconnected from decision-making processes. They help highlight innovative solutions, lessons learned from local and regional experiences, and emerging approaches to complex water challenges.

 

The Hub also emphasizes inclusivity. It encourages participation from academics, scientists, civil society organizations, youth networks, women’s groups, Indigenous knowledge holders, the private sector, and other stakeholders. 

 

Ultimately, contributions to the Academic Hub are more than just submissions - they are a way to influence the future of water policy. They help drive ambitious commitments, foster collaboration across sectors and regions, and make science and evidence central to global decision-making. Every input strengthens the foundation for informed, actionable, and impactful outcomes at the 2026 UN Water Conference and beyond.​

Modalities of Engagement

The Academic Hub provides three levels of engagement to facilitate inclusive and proportionate participation by academics, scientists, and experts, enabling contributions aligned with their expertise and availability.

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If you have any issues or questions, please contact: wateracademichub@unu.edu

Level 1 — Contribute & Participate

How to engage

  1. Submit inputs through the Academic Hub contribution form (e.g. research summaries, policy‑relevant insights, tools, or evidence aligned with the six Interactive Dialogue themes)

  2. Attend Academic Hub webinars, and events

  3. Participate in discussions during open sessions, consultations and side events

The Academic Hub welcomes a wide range of inputs from anyone working to advance water-related knowledge and solutions.

 

Contributors may include academics, scientists, practitioners, civil society organizations, youth groups, women’s networks, indigenous knowledge holders, private sector experts, and other stakeholders. You are invited to share any type of knowledge product, such as policy briefs, commentaries, research notes, case studies, data insights, working papers, or other materials, provided they align with one or more of the six Interactive Dialogue themes of the 2026 UN Water Conference.​

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Submitting your contribution is straightforward:​

  • Click form to submit online.​

  • Select the type of contribution you are submitting.​

  • Indicate the Interactive Dialogue theme your contribution relates to.​

  • Provide a short overview of your key insight or recommendation.​

  • Share a link to your material.​

 

All submissions will be reviewed for thematic alignment and suitability. Contributions will be featured on the Hub and may be highlighted at milestone events or incorporated into synthesized inputs that inform the Conference process.​

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The Hub encourages participation from all regions, disciplines, and perspectives, including early-career contributors and voices that are often underrepresented in global water discussions. Each submission adds valuable insight to the collective effort to strengthen evidence-informed water policy.​​

Level 2 — Develop Knowledge & Convene Events

How to engage

  1. Contribute knowledge products (e.g. reports, policy briefs, commentaries) aligned with one or more Interactive Dialogue themes)

  2. Organize at least one event aligned with at least one event in support of these themes

  3. Contribute to the development of Academic Hub knowledge products (e.g. policy messages and thematic briefs)

  4. Contribute to capacity development and knowledge-sharing activities (e.g. mentoring, training sessions, or learning exchanges)

How to get started

  1. Share your proposal 

    • Submit a brief description of your intended contribution, event, or knowledge product, including the relevant topic and Interactive Dialogue theme via email at: wateracademichub@unu.edu

  2. Coordination review 

    • The Academic Hub will assess alignment and identify potential overlaps to ensure complementarity 

      Guidance and background materials will be shared where relevant 

  3. Develop your contribution

    • Proceed with drafting knowledge products and/or organizing events   

  4. Submit for review and visibility

    • Share draft materials with the Academic Hub for review  

    • Submit event details through the Academic Hub event form for inclusion in the Hub calendar

Submission requirements:
  • Clear attribution of authors and institutional affiliations
  • Inclusion of the statement:
    • “This material is submitted as a contribution to the UN Water Conference Academic Hub in support of upcoming UN Water Conferences.”

Recognition

  • Acknowledgement as Contributors and attribution on submitted materials.

Level 3 — Lead Compendium & Review

How to engage

Individual

  1. Serve as a coordinator to gather and mobilize inputs and support community outreach and awareness-raising efforts

  2. Contribute to or Lead an Interactive Dialogue theme

  3. Review Academic Hub materials to ensure quality, clarity, and alignment with Conference priorities

  4. Develop a minimum of 6 knowledge products (e.g. reports, policy briefs, commentaries, webinars)

Institutional  

  1. Serve as a focal point for coordinated contributions and student engagement

  2. Contribute to or Lead an Interactive Dialogue theme

  3. Establish a review panel to support quality assurance

  4. Develop a minimum of 10 knowledge products (e.g. reports, policy briefs, commentaries, webinars) 

Criteria for Compendium Leadership (Inter-Sector, Regional & Language Academic excellence)

 

  • Lead the development of an inter-sectoral, regional, or language-specific (including non-English) academic compendium

  • Promote inclusive and accessible knowledge production

  • Ensure gender balance and the inclusion of youth and early-career professionals

How to get started

  1. Express interest

    • Indicate whether participation is as an individual or institution, including a brief description of the proposed compendium or Interactive Dialogue focus via email at: wateracademichub@unu.edu

  2. Submit a draft plan

    • Provide a simple planning outline including:

      • Proposed contributors

      • Topics and corresponding Interactive Dialogues

      • Planned knowledge products and indicative timeline

  3. Coordination review

    • The Academic Hub will assess alignment and avoid duplication

  4. Proceed with implementation

    • Develop knowledge products and coordinate contributions

    • Submit event details (if applicable) for inclusion in the Hub calendar

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Submission requirements:
  • Clear attribution of authors and institutional affiliations
  • Inclusion of the statement:
    • “This material is submitted as a contribution to the UN Water Conference Academic Hub in support of upcoming UN Water Conferences.”

Recognition

  • Acknowledgement as compendium leads on the Academic Hub platform  
    Institutional recognition, including name and logo  

  • Attribution as reviewers on relevant materials 

Disclaimer and Publication Review Policy

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The views and opinions expressed in these publications are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the UN, UNU, UNESCO, UNITAR, UN DESA, UN-Water’s members and partners, the UN Water Conference and/or its Member States.

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The inclusion of any material, including opinion pieces or op-eds, does not imply endorsement of the content by the United Nations, UNITAR, or any of the above-mentioned entities.

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The UN Water Conference Academic Hub serves as a platform to foster academic exchange, evidence-based dialogue, and knowledge sharing in support of water-related sustainable development outcomes.

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