To ‘deliver as one’ on water issues, UN-Water coordinates the efforts of our Members and Partners. Through its governance arrangements, UN-Water provides the platform to address the cross-cutting nature of water and maximize system-wide collaboration and coherence.

UN-Water Members

The Members of UN-Water are the United Nations agencies, funds, programmes and conventions that include water as part of their mandate. In addition to their steering function for UN-Water as a whole, Members are the primary means of implementation of UN-Water’s mandate.

UN-Water Partners with Special Status

Other UN connected entities such as Special Rapporteurs, panels and advisory boards are Partners with Special Status.

UN-Water Partners

The Partners to UN-Water are organizations from the public and private sectors and civil society that are active in UN-Water’s scope of work. Partners take an active role in UN-Water Meetings, engage in Expert Groups and Task Forces and provide support to specific activities. Their collaboration with UN-Water is guided by a set of Guidelines on UN-Water Partners.

Senior Programme Managers

The UN-Water Senior Programme Managers (SPMs) are the representatives of the UN-Water Members at UN-Water. They provide the overall governance and strategic direction. Collectively, they constitute the highest operational decision-making body of UN-Water.

Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary

The Chair of UN-Water is nominated among the UN Executive Heads, after consultations in the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination. The current Chair is Mr. Alvaro Lario, 2024-Present. Previous chairs were Gilbert F. Houngbo, 2017- 2023, Guy Ryder, 2016-2017, Michel Jarraud, 2012-2016, Zafar Adeel, 2010-2012, Pasquale Steduto, 2007-2010 and Jamie Bartram, 2004-2007.

The Vice-Chair of UN-Water is elected among the UN-Water Senior Programme Managers, serves in a personal capacity and not in representation of her or his Member entity.  The current Vice Chair is Mr. Bruce Gordon.

The UN DESA Senior Programme Manager serves as Secretary of UN-Water ex-officio. The current Secretary is Ms. Madhushree Chatterjee.

The UN-Water Inter-Agency Trust Fund

The UN-Water Inter-Agency Trust Fund is administered by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Geneva office.