Why is international cooperation essential for addressing today’s water challenges? How do initiatives such as the “Negotiation Training for Water and Energy Experts,” organized at SUEN in October 2025 as a joint effort by OSCE, SUEN, and Finland with support from other donor countries, contribute to creating greater synergy?
The global hydrological cycle is off-balance, and water challenges do not respect national boundaries - rivers, aquifers, and climate impacts are shared and may require transboundary cooperation. Finland is not immune; we want to be a part of the solution making the world secure in terms of water. Addressing water challenges fosters mutual understanding, builds capacity, and ensures equitable and sustainable management of shared resources.
The joint training initiative of OSCE and SUEN is an excellent example: by strengthening negotiation skills and bringing together professionals from diverse sectors and regions, it helps to create a community of practice that enhances trust, dialogue, and effective transboundary water governance. It is important to learn about the positive opportunities that transboundary cooperation can bring.
Finland as chair of OSCE and, I trust, also Switzerland as the incoming chair of OSCE share the common view of water and sanitation being human rights. Hence water should never be used as a weapon in a conflict or war. Towards that end, there can never be too much of negotiation training for water and energy experts, especially women who are underrepresented in the water domain. We are pleased to have been able to contribute at least a bit, together with SUEN and OSCE.
For Finland this initiative was also one step on the ladder towards the UN Water Conference 2026 in Abu Dhabi. We hope to be able to secure the position of thematic co-chair for theme “Water for Cooperation”, which includes transboundary water cooperation, science cooperation and inclusive governance.
How can water create opportunities for building a more sustainable and peaceful world?
Water unites us humans and every living organism on earth. Most recent research stipulates that hydrological cycle is off-balance, which causes real risks and threats around the world. However, in the Finnish Water Way approach, solving these risks also can also mean an opportunity for cooperation. There are 153 countries sharing rivers, lakes and aquifers, but only 26 of the 153 countries worldwide sharing water resources have all their transboundary basin areas covered by operational arrangements for water cooperation. This means that most countries globally have opportunity to engage with a positive geopolitical agenda with their peers up- or downstream.
To avoid the negative trends that water shortage, abundance or pollution may trigger, water diplomacy as preventive peace mediation can bring riparian countries to the discussion table early on. Cooperation on water can also be a tool for technical cooperation and confidence building between countries for example in conflict or post-conflict settings.
Research of existing water agreements suggests that if any two or more countries have functional transboundary water cooperation, then they shall not go to conflict for any reason. Until today this holds true, while it is being challenged, in some basins. It is imperative that water should not be held hostage of larger geopolitics, as water functions much better as a unifying agenda item.
How can technical expertise, policymaking, and diplomacy be effectively combined in advancing sustainable water management?
There are as many right answers, as there are countries and transboundary basins. Firstly, noting that the UNECE Water Convention sets the principles that provide a baseline framework for transboundary basin cooperation, we as Finland strongly promote all countries sharing their water resources with neighbors to join the water convention as a party. Finland is located upstream vis-à-vis our eastern neighbor, and both of us are benefiting from being parties to the water convention and using it as a frame for our bilateral cooperation, which is based on our agreement from 1964.
In Finland, we have organized ourselves so that all five water mandated ministries have jointly created the international water strategy of Finland, the Finnish Water Way. A Special Envoy for Water has been appointed to coordinate and represent Finland in international water affairs. This post is located at the Centre for Peace Mediation where Water Diplomacy is one of the key focus areas. Notably Finland and Türkiye are close partners in the peace mediation front, as an example we are together co-chairing Group of Friends of Peace Mediation at UN.
We also have a Water Diplomacy Network that the Finnish MFA hosts and the Finnish Water Diplomacy Platform that allows us to integrate technical expertise to the use of policymaking and diplomacy at all levels. Diplomacy and security colleagues appreciate the technical knowledge provided for the use of geopolitical contexts, dialogues and negotiations.
As an active supporter of the Women in Water Diplomacy Network, what role do you see for women in shaping water diplomacy?
Gender equality and Women, Peace and Security are key priorities for Finland. Ensuring gender equality is a prerequisite for sustainable and effective water cooperation. Women bring essential perspectives and leadership to water diplomacy. Research indicates that inclusive processes lead to more comprehensive and lasting agreements, as in peace mediation.
The Women in Water Diplomacy Network (WWDN), with membership that demonstrates variety of women’s expertise on water related issues, is a key partner for Finland. Finland cooperates with the WWDN, to support the greater inclusion of women in preparation to and during the UN Water Conference in 2026. Overall, the Center of Peace Mediation cooperates with many networks. We see them as opportunities to link, create cooperation and build coalitions with a broad representation of actors, globally and from the community level to high level decision-making.