The 2020 Conference was the third in a series focused on the broad topic of water and sustainable development. It was part of a larger agenda of conferences, symposia, and meetings centered on Water Security. The event provided an important platform for professional engagement, the exchange and sharing of ideas, and learning from others, while identifying areas for partnerships and collaboration. Recent events and discussions highlighted the vital connections between water security, sustainable development, and international peace, all of which were key themes for the conference.

Cairo Water Week 2020 took place from October 18th to 22nd in Cairo, Egypt, under the main theme “Water Security in Arid Regions – the Road to Dakar 2021,” addressing five sub-themes covering a broad spectrum of water security issues. The theme was chosen as a significant step toward achieving the goals of the strategic cooperation between the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI) and the Executive Secretariat of the 9th World Water Forum in Dakar, Senegal. In this collaboration, MWRI committed to supporting the Executive Secretariat as a strategic partner on the issue of water cooperation, one of the Forum’s key focus areas.