Hosted by the G20 President - South Africa, United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), African Union, AIP High-Level Panel, AUDA-NEPAD, Global Water Partnership Organisation (GWPO), and invited partners, the Dialogue will bring together Ministers, Ambassadors, Permanent Representatives to the UN, development banks, and Champions of the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments.
At the G20 AU – AIP Africa Water Investment Summit in Cape Town on 13 August 2025, H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa and 2025 G20 President, launched the Global Outlook Council on Water Investments — a G20 Presidential Legacy Initiative. Building on this landmark moment, momentum now shifts to UNGA to present the Roadmap for the Council towards G20 Leaders Summit, COP 30 in Brazil, and the UN 2026 Water Conference.
The G20 AU – AIP Africa Water Investment Summit identified a pipeline of USD 10–12 billion in priority water investments and adopted a Summit Declaration with the G20 Global Outlook Council.
The Global Outlook Council — comprising invited current and former Heads of State, global leaders, and senior public and private sector representatives — together with the Global Water Investment Platform, will serve as the world’s premier high-level political and investment platform on water.
The Dialogue will refine the Global Outlook Council’s Roadmap, explore the need for a G20 Global Water Investment Compact as a financial framework to accelerate global efforts towards water-related SDGs to close the global water investment gap of at least USD 114–150 billion annually by 2030 with the G20 Global Water Investment Platform as the delivery mechanism. These steps will help elevate water on the agendas of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, COP30, and the UN 2026 Water Conference.
The G20 - Global Water Investment Platform (GIP) will scale up the Africa Investment Programme (AIP) globally, track financing flows, showcase investment-ready projects, and provide transparent updates on the Global Outlook Council’s 2025–2030 Roadmap. It will serve as a central hub for governments, investors, and partners to follow progress and contribute to closing the global water financing gap.
This invitation-only event at UNGA marks a critical step from ambition to action, building momentum for transformative investments in water security, resilience, and sustainable development worldwide.
The Global Outlook Council forms a core pillar of the Global Water Partnership (GWP) Global Transformation Agenda on Water Investments and its new Strategy 2026-2030, launched in August 2025.