With strong regional participation, the Regional Webinar on Transboundary Waters in Latin America and the Caribbean was held, organized by UNESCO, UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe), and ECLAC. The event aimed to present the main findings of the Third Progress Report on SDG Indicator 6.5.2 and to discuss strategies for strengthening water cooperation across the region.

SDG Indicator 6.5.2 measures the proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation, a key metric for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation.

The event brought together more than 250 representatives from governments, multilateral organizations, and regional organizations, who shared progress, challenges, and opportunities in the sustainable management of shared water resources.

The day began with welcoming remarks from Camila Tori (UNESCO), followed by opening speeches from Miguel Doria (UNESCO) and Chantal Demilecamps (UNECE), who emphasized the critical importance of cooperation on transboundary waters to achieve SDG 6.

Subsequently, Sarah Tiefenauer-Linardon (UNECE) and Aurélien Dumont (UNESCO) provided a global overview of progress and challenges in international transboundary cooperation.

The regional results were presented by Ms. Natalia Sarmanto, an expert from ECLAC’s water team, who highlighted that only 29% of transboundary waters in Latin America and the Caribbean are covered by operational agreements, compared to 59% globally. Among the countries in the region, Bolivia stands out as the only one covering more than 90% of its transboundary waters under operational agreements. Sarmanto also presented proposals to accelerate progress, based on the global SDG 6 accelerators framework, focused on improving data availability, strengthening institutional capacities, promoting innovation in financing mechanisms, and consolidating effective governance.

In a later session, dedicated to the use of SDG 6.5.2 monitoring to drive cooperation, various national and regional experiences were presented. Likewise, representatives from partner organizations, such as GWP, OCTA, UNEP, and OAS, shared valuable perspectives, emphasizing the need to strengthen technical cooperation mechanisms, promote data exchange, and consolidate more inclusive and participatory governance.

The seminar concluded with a summary of the main conclusions by Chantal Demilecamps (UNECE), followed by closing remarks by Silvia Saravia (ECLAC), who acknowledged the progress made but also warned of the challenges that still remain:

“The work carried out is significant, but we still have a long way to go to ensure the sustainability of our shared water resources,” said Saravia, calling for strengthened partnerships and the promotion of concrete actions at the local, national, and regional levels.

The event left a clear message: strengthening cooperation on transboundary waters is essential not only for environmental sustainability but also to promote peace, resilience, and inclusive development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

For more information about the event, click here.

Access the report here.