Advancing Water Diplomacy and Peacebuilding in the MENA Region: The Geneva Water Hub Mission to Doha

16.10.2025 Building Peace

The Geneva Water Hub strengthened its engagement in the MENA region through a mission to Doha, promoting science diplomacy, water governance, and peacebuilding alongside key regional and Swiss partners.

The Middle East Council for Global Affairs, in partnership with the Geneva Water Hub and Blue Peace Middle East, and with support from the Embassy of Switzerland in Qatar, convened a two-day high-level roundtable in Doha on Water Diplomacy in the MENA region.

Moderated by Natasha Carmi, Senior Water and Peace Programme Manager, and with an intervention by Dr. Caroline Pellaton, Operations Director, Dr. Jasmine Moussa, Legal Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt and Dr. Chadi Abdallah, Director, Center for Natural Hazard and Early Warning, Lebanon, the Geneva Water Hub and its partners brought their unique expertise at the intersection of science, diplomacy, and peacebuilding.

Participants explored how water can become a catalyst for stability through discussions on hydropolitical mapping, protection of water during armed conflicts, and the use of international legal mechanisms. The Hub’s Water for Peace Approach was highlighted as a model for equitable and inclusive governance, anchored in robust legal and policy frameworks.

Building on this roundtable, the Doha mission (26–30 September 2025) marked a broader effort by the Geneva Water Hub to strengthen partnerships and advance the use of water for peace across the MENA region. The mission opened new avenues for collaboration with Qatari and regional institutions — including the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, the Qatari Diplomatic Institute, and the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies — paving the way for joint initiatives on capacity building, dialogue facilitation, and research on water resilience.

The discussions and meetings in Doha also contributed to advancing Switzerland’s engagement under the newly signed Letters of Intent between Switzerland and Qatar on mediation, and humanitarian and development cooperation, reaffirming Geneva’s role as a global hub for science diplomacy and peacebuilding.

👉 Learn more about our work on Water for Peace: https://www.genevawaterhub.org/what-we-do/building-peace