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Published at three-year intervals since 2018, progress reports on SDG indicator 6.5.2 are an opportunity to take stock of progress, highlight data gaps, and offer suggestions for accelerating progress on transboundary water cooperation.

This second progress report offers encouragement, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, that countries are increasingly engaged in the exercise of monitoring transboundary water cooperation through the SDGs. An impressive 129 countries sharing transboundary rivers, lakes and aquifers submitted a national SDG indicator 6.5.2 report for the second monitoring exercise — thirty more countries since the first exercise.

There has also been an overall improvement in the quality of national reports, as countries continue to work with UNECE, UNESCO and partners. It is especially promising that the process of developing national reports on SDG indicator 6.5.2 has led to cooperation, in some instances among stakeholders at the national level or among neighbouring countries. This cooperation has led to important gains, such as countries reaching a better understanding of their transboundary aquifer data gaps and needs. Going forward, both the exercise itself and data contained within national reports constitute important drivers of transboundary water cooperation at the global level.

As it becomes more and more apparent that cooperation over water offers multiple benefits extending far beyond this liquid resource, progress must be accelerated. Indeed, water plays a key role in poverty alleviation, food security, health and well-being, clean energy, climate action, ecosystem protection, as well as peace and security (SDGs 1-3, 7, and 13-16, respectively).

Yet, of the 101 countries where the indicator value is currently available, only 24 of them have reported that operational arrangements cover all their transboundary basin area. In line with the UN Decade for Action and SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework, this second progress report identifies a number of ways to accelerate progress on transboundary water cooperation, including upscaling capacity development, building upon the two global water conventions, tackling traditional financing bottlenecks, capitalising on the 2023 UN Water Conference to increase the political support for transboundary water cooperation, and better leveraging the expertise of UN agencies and other international organisations.

UNECE and UNESCO stand ready to support countries in accelerating these efforts.