Ms. Ebru Canan-Sokullu, Director of the UNITAR Global Water Academy and Associate Head of the CIFAL Global Network, led a discussion on the “Pulse Check: Regulation and Commitment—Where Are We Now?” Her keynote highlighted an increasingly urgent gap between global targets and local capability, citing the latest projections showing SDG 6 water goals unlikely to be met until at least 2049 without major policy and technical intervention.

She emphasised that true progress must be built on smarter, adaptive multilateral cooperation and targeted investment in local technical capacity, particularly as global ambition rises and regulatory frameworks become increasingly complex and fragmented. Recent data from the MIT Report shows most global businesses are prioritising sustainability in their supply chains, even as national rules and sustainability funding flows become more unpredictable. 

Ms. Canan-Sokullu also underlined the strategic role of water governance, emphasising its growing linkages with climate, energy, and social development. She also took part in a co-creation workshop on cross-sector collaboration, supporting discussions on how partnerships, innovation, and local action can strengthen collective response to sustainability challenges.

Ms. Canan-Sokullu called attention to UNITAR’s work training new leaders and building practical networks through the Global Water Academy and CIFAL Training centres, both ready to help countries and communities as they seek to implement stronger sustainability commitments.