The Global Water Organisation (GWO) has officially launched its operations from its headquarters in Riyadh, with founding member states, including Pakistan, signing its charter.

The newly established organisation — formed under the leadership of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman and the patronage of the Saudi environment minister — aims to enhance international collaboration to address the growing pressures on global water systems. Aside from Pakistan, the founding countries of the GWO include Kuwait, Qatar, Spain, Greece, Senegal and Mauritania.

According to a statement from the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) on Sunday, the launching event “marked a major milestone in fostering international collaboration to address global water challenges.”

Federal Minister for Water Resources, Mian Muhammad Mueen Wattoo, represented Pakistan at the invitation of Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Abdul Rahman Bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Fadley, to share the country’s perspective.

“Pakistan along with other founding members signed the GWO charter, formally committing to the organisation’s shared vision of strengthening international cooperation on water scarcity, sustainable resource management, and climate resilience, particularly in arid and water-stressed regions,” the statement said.

Pakistan also offered to establish a GWO sub-office in Pakistan, the statement added.

In December 2024, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commended the leadership and initiative of the crown prince to establish the GWO.

“We are proud to join this initiative, as one of its founding members and look forward to providing, all possible support, in achieving its important goals,” he had said while addressing the One Water Summit on the Margins of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Riyadh.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the founding nations of the GWO concluded their inaugural meeting in Riyadh on May 28 by signing the organisation’s founding charter, “cementing a shared vision for achieving global water resource sustainability and addressing escalating challenges facing this vital sector.”

The charter signatories seek to address growing challenges facing the water sector by promoting social, economic, health, and environmental development to ensure equitable access to water and sanitation for all and achieve sustainable management.

The GWO represents a pivotal step in addressing one of humanity’s most pressing challenges, as water scarcity affects billions worldwide and climate change intensifies pressure on global water resources, it said.

The charter signatories emphasised the importance of achieving the organisation’s objectives, which represent a new milestone for international cooperation in water management. The participants underscored the significance of this groundbreaking initiative in fostering collaborative solutions to water-related challenges.

The founding nations stressed the importance of adopting a unified strategic vision and mission focused on water resource sustainability and promoting global progress toward practical solutions for water-related environmental and climate challenges.

The agreement establishes enhanced cooperation and coordination among member states to protect water resources in terms of both quantity and quality, ensuring continued water supplies for future generations.

The organisation called for strengthening partnerships with non-member countries, United Nations organisations, international financial institutions, and all relevant stakeholders to support the organization’s objectives.

The members emphasised establishing best practices and international standards in water management while enhancing knowledge and methodological exchange between countries. The meeting highlighted the importance of research, encouraging innovation and development in sustainable technologies, and providing joint mechanisms and programmes.