An Arab Youth Center Initiative, in Strategic Partnership with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Applications Open — Deadline: 2 August 2026, 12:00 AM Dubai Time
OVERVIEW
The Global Youth Water Envoys Program is a capacity-building and diplomatic engagement initiative established ahead of the 2026 UN Water Conference, co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Senegal in Abu Dhabi this December.
The program will select and prepare 100 young leaders from across the world's regions for structured, substantive participation in global water governance. Through a phased journey of foundational training, thematic specialization, and direct engagement with national delegations and institutional partners, the program positions its cohort not as observers of the 2026 UN Water Conference, but as contributors to its outcomes — across the Conference proceedings, its six Interactive Dialogues, and the wider multilateral platforms shaping the international water agenda.
The initiative reflects the United Arab Emirates' long-standing commitment to partnership, regional connection, and the meaningful inclusion of youth in matters of global consequence — extended here to one of the defining challenges of this generation.
THE CONTEXT
Water insecurity is not distributed equally, and neither is the capacity to respond to it.
Communities across the Global South continue to bear a disproportionate share of the world's water stress, compounded by existing environmental and developmental vulnerabilities. At the same time, youth engagement within formal water governance structures remains largely consultative — present at the margins of process, rather than embedded within it.
The Global Youth Water Envoys Program addresses this gap directly, establishing a structured mechanism through which youth expertise and lived experience inform policy, rather than accompany it.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Selected envoys are expected to:
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Complete the full program journey, including all training sessions and engagement activities.
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Commit approximately 3–4 hours per week during the active program period, with scheduling subject to variation.
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Engage substantively within their assigned Interactive Dialogue track.
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Conduct themselves with professionalism and constructive rigor in all interactions with peers, experts, program partners, policymakers, and institutional stakeholders.
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Represent youth perspectives across relevant water governance discussions and platforms.
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Participate in designated milestone events and the 2026 UN Water Conference, subject to logistical and programmatic confirmation.
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Participants will engage directly with subject-matter experts, policymakers, and institutional actors throughout the program.
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Envoys will be integrated into the six Interactive Dialogues of the 2026 UN Water Conference, with opportunities to contribute to discussion, support facilitation, and engage with national delegations — strengthening knowledge exchange and policy alignment that extends beyond the Conference itself.
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must:
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Be between 18 and 35 years of age at the time of conference.
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Demonstrate working proficiency in English, the program's primary working language.
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Demonstrate relevant interest or experience in water-related issues, including governance, policy, climate, sustainability, innovation, or finance.
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Be prepared to engage actively throughout the program and serve as an ambassador for youth engagement within their own community.
The program is committed to diversity of geography, gender, background and ability. Priority consideration will be given to applicants from water-stressed regions, including Africa, the Arab States, and Asia and the Pacific, as identified by the Water Stress Country Index.
PROGRAM OUTCOMES
Upon completion, envoys will:
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Join a global cohort of 100 Youth Water Envoys
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Have received training and mentorship from leading experts and practitioners in the sector
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Have contributed directly to the Global Youth Water Statement
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Have engaged with policymakers, international organizations, and sector leaders
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Have participated in the United Nations Water Conference in Abu Dhabi
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Become part of a long-term international alumni network
APPLICATION
Deadline: 2 August 2026, 12:00 AM Dubai Time