The UN’s interagency coordination mechanism for water and sanitation issues has launched a set of country acceleration studies, showcasing practical examples of successful policies, along with a flagship report on SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation). The launch coincides with the in-depth review of SDG 6 by the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
The sixth annual SDG 6 Special Event, co-hosted by the UN-Water Chair and the Under-Secretary-General of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), launched the publications. The event convened in the margins of HLPF 2026 on 7 July.
The 2026 SDG 6 Country Acceleration Case Studies shine the spotlight on China (Zhejiang Province), São Tomé and Príncipe, and Uzbekistan. The case studies document replicable good practices for achieving the SDG 6 targets and highlight practical pathways for accelerating progress.
The 2026 case studies complement those from previous years:
- Bhutan, Rwanda, and Saudi Arabia (2025);
- Cambodia, Czechia, and Jordan (2024);
- Brazil, Ghana, and Singapore (2023); and
- Costa Rica, Pakistan, and Senegal (2022).
Themed, ‘Ten years of SDG 6 and the path to 2030+,’ the Sustainable Development Goal 6 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2026 provides the latest SDG 6 data, identifies drivers of national progress and policy reform, and positions water as an accelerator of broader sustainable development up to 2030 and beyond.
Key messages highlight that:
- After ten years of SDG 6, countries are delivering measurable progress.
- Progress is accelerating but remains too slow and uneven.
- SDG 6 has demonstrated the value of a dedicated global goal for water and sanitation.
- SDG 6 has shaped countries’ pathways to progress.
- Water is increasingly seen as a “superconnector” for SDG acceleration and transformation.
- There is an urgent need to move from incremental to transformative progress.
- Water and sanitation need a stronger multilateral approach beyond 2030.
In addition to supporting the SDG 6 review at the HLPF, these publications will inform preparations for the 2026 and 2028 UN conferences on water, among other global processes, as well as early discussions taking place ahead of the 2027 SDG Summit. [Publication: Sustainable Development Goal 6 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2026: Ten years of SDG 6 and the path to 2030+] [Executive Summary] [Report Landing Page] [Publication: Country Acceleration Case Study: China] [China Case Study Landing Page] [Publication: Country Acceleration Case Study: São Tomé and Príncipe] [São Tomé and Príncipe Case Study Landing Page] [Publication: Country Acceleration Case Study: Uzbekistan] [Uzbekistan Case Study Landing Page] [Country Acceleration Case Studies by UN-Water] [HLPF 2026]