Breaking the Silos: Ministerial Roundtables Set the Stage for 2025 Sector Ministers’ Meeting in Madrid
A ministerial dialogue at the 2022 SMM.
As climate shocks intensify, water stress increases and development challenges persist, it is clear that siloed solutions are no longer enough. The challenges we face are deeply connected and so must be our responses. Government leaders are in a unique position to drive this shift.
In the lead-up to the 2025 Sector Ministers’ Meeting (SMM), SWA’s upcoming series of virtual ministerial roundtables will provide a platform for countries to reflect, strategize, and build political momentum for a more unified approach to water, sanitation, and climate action.
This year’s SMM, hosted by the Government of Spain in Madrid, will gather political leaders to advance the integration of water, sanitation, and climate sectors, anchoring the discussions in human rights, sustainable financing, and scalable solutions. The SMM will launch the High-Level Leaders Compact on Water Security and Resilience—a bold new initiative aimed at galvanizing political commitment to integrated action.
Building the Momentum Through Regional Ministerial Roundtables
To ensure the 2025 SMM is action-oriented and grounded in real-world needs, ministerial roundtables will take place July 29 as a critical part of the preparatory process. These invite-only virtual discussions will be held under Chatham House Rules to allow for candid exchanges among ministers and senior officials responsible for water, sanitation, climate, and environmental portfolios.
The goal? To "break the silos," to overcome the institutional, legal, technical, and financial fragmentation that hinders progress and to co-create practical strategies for integrated, resilient development.
A Conversation Grounded in Political Reality
Each 60-minute roundtable will be structured to enable peer-to-peer political exchange. After opening remarks from Spain—highlighting its leadership on water policy integration—ministers will engage in a moderated discussion exploring key political and practical questions:
What does “breaking silos” look like in your country?
What barriers—be they institutional, financial, or legal—stand in the way of integration?
Why is integrated action politically important now?
What motivates your ministry to lead in this space—climate resilience, financing, governance efficiency?
Are there emerging cross-sectoral alliances or strategies already underway?
These conversations will not only enrich preparations for the 2025 SMM, but also help participating ministers and their teams align their national consultation processes with global frameworks such as the Paris Agreement, which sets the climate adaptation and mitigation agenda.
Why This Matters
These regional roundtables mark a crucial step in building the political will and shared understanding needed to tackle some of today’s most pressing challenges. They are not just about technical alignment—they’re about making a political case for doing things differently, together.
For ministers and senior leaders, the value is clear: It’s an opportunity to engage in real-time political dialogue with peers and create stronger alignment between national priorities and global frameworks.
As the countdown to the 2025 Sector Ministers’ Meeting begins, these roundtables signal a growing recognition: integration is not just an option—it’s a necessity.
