The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) hosted Africa Week 2026 from 19 to 22 May 2026, placing water, youth, innovation and the culture of peace at the center of the agenda. The flagship annual event was held under the theme “Ensuring Sustainable Availability of Water and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Objectives of Agenda 2063,” according to a press release by UNESCO. Organized with the Africa Group at UNESCO, the gathering convened high-level representatives, experts, young innovators, civil society, writers, designers, artists and the public. The Democratic Republic of the Congo held the presidency of Africa Week 2026. The week combined policy dialogue with cultural and youth-led programming around Africa’s priorities.
Africa Week is a flagship annual event celebrating Africa’s priorities, creativity and contribution to global dialogue. Opening the week at UNESCO Headquarters, UNESCO Deputy Director-General Åsa Regnér described water and sanitation as both “timely and strategic.” She recalled water’s direct links with education, health, food systems, economic activity and equality. Regnér also highlighted UNESCO’s work across Africa on water data, aquifer mapping, water diplomacy and flood early warning systems. The theme positioned water as central to achieving Agenda 2063 objectives.
Speaking on behalf of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Minister of State Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner placed water at the heart of Africa’s shared future. She described water as “a condition of human dignity, a factor of public health, a lever for development, and an instrument of peace and stability between peoples.” With the Congo Basin holding a central place in Africa’s hydrological landscape, she called for water to be treated as a driver of cooperation rather than rivalry. She framed it as a shared responsibility for the ecological, energy and human future of Africa and the world. Her remarks underscored the presidency’s vision for the week.
Youth participation was a main thread of this year’s programme, with the first-ever Youth Forum / Carrefour Jeunesse at Africa Week. The Forum gave young people from across the continent a platform to present solutions for sustainable water management, safe sanitation systems and climate resilience. It also hosted the inaugural UNESCO Africa Week Youth Forum Pitch Competition. Patricia Mwangelwa Longwani, a 27-year-old innovator from Zambia, was recognized for her water-related solution, while contestants from Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire secured second and third place. As part of the winning package, Patricia will be sponsored to take part in the African Youth Climate Hub Demo Day in Morocco in July 2026.
Africa Week also showcased African literature through the African Book Fair / Salon des Auteurs, featuring authors such as Dia Kassembe and Ivorian novelist and playwright Maurice Bandaman, whose Sœurs esclaves examines memory and the legacies of slavery. On 21 May, “Roots & Connections — Threads of Origin: Fashion as Living Memory & Re-rooting the Future” explored clothing as a living archive of identity, memory and transmitted knowledge. The week closed with a cultural gala featuring traditional dance, songs, slam and percussion, including balafon, djembé and doums, alongside contemporary ensembles. Across its conferences, exhibitions, youth initiatives, literary encounters and cultural events, Africa Week 2026 carried a clear message. Africa’s future will be shaped by the knowledge, creativity and resilience of its people, especially its youth.
