UN-Water has announced the 43rd UN-Water Meeting scheduled for 24–25 March 2026 to coordinate the UN’s approach to water and sanitation issues.

• Event details and organiser: UN-Water (listed via the International Water Management Institute IWMI) will hold the meeting on 24 March 2026 – 25 March 2026, 09:00–17:00 (Europe/Rome).

  • Date: 24 March 2026 – 25 March 2026
  • Time: 09:00 am – 5:00 pm (Europe/Rome)
  • Agenda/Subject: Coordinate the UN’s approach to water and sanitation issues.

• Logistics and background: The event is published on IWMI’s events page and cross-listed on SDG.iisd.org; calendar links are provided (ICS, Google Calendar, iCalendar/webcal, Office 365, Outlook Live). Location is indicated by timezone (Europe/Rome); no specific physical venue or pricing/funding details are provided.

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) will host the 2026 South African International Water Week (SAIWW) in Johannesburg.

• Event details: Host: International Water Management Institute (IWMI); Event: South African International Water Week (SAIWW); Dates: March 16–18, 2026; Times: 9:00 am–5:00 pm (Africa/Johannesburg); Location: The Houghton Hotel, Lloys Ellis Avenue, Johannesburg, 2198, South Africa. The event aims to bring together cross-sector participants to confront water security challenges and convert them into investment opportunities.
• Agenda & logistics:
  • Agenda/Subject: focus on water security, investment opportunities, and cross-sector collaboration.
  • Registration & resources: event page and calendar links available (IWMI event page, ICS/iCalendar, Google Calendar, Office 365/Outlook links).

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) are hosting a public briefing on emerging wildfire solutions and federal policy to accelerate their deployment.

• Event announcement & details: The briefing titled “Igniting Innovation: Progress and a Path Forward for Wildfire Policy” will be held on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST at Russell Senate Office Building (SR-385), 2 Constitution Ave NE, Washington, DC; a reception follows and a live webcast will stream at www.eesi.org/livecast. Panelists listed: Kelly Martin (Owner, Lasair Fire Consulting Group LLC), Sara Clark (Partner, Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger), and Dr. Hannah Safford (Associate Director, Climate and Environment, Federation of American Scientists). The event is free and attendees are asked to RSVP to expedite check-in.
• Scope, evidence, and context: The briefing will cover preparedness, response, recovery, fuels management, smart zoning, upgraded building codes, and early detection with emphasis on federal policy support for rapid, cost-effective implementation at scale. Background facts cited in the announcement include that wildfires are increasing in intensity and season length and are estimated to cost the United States up to $424 billion annually and displace tens of thousands of people.

The Permanent Representatives Committee (Part 1) will meet at the Europa building in Brussels on 23 January 2026 at 10:00 to prepare the Council (Agriculture and Fisheries) meeting and to consider adoption of fisheries and energy regulatory acts.

• Main actions: Preparation of the Council (Agriculture and Fisheries) meeting on 26 January 2026 and consideration/adoption of legislative acts including: Council Regulation fixing fishing opportunities for the Mediterranean and Black Seas for 2026 (documents 5131/26, 15872/25, ADD 1 REV 1) and Council Regulation fixing fishing opportunities for 2026–2028 (documents 5248/1/26 REV 1, 15869/25, ADD 1-2), plus the Regulation on phasing out Russian natural gas imports (document 5289/26, PE-CONS 63/25, file referenced to ENER) — all listed for adoption.
• Other items and background: Adoption by silence procedure of written questions from MEPs (e.g., 5269/26 PE-QE, 16591/25, 16594/1/25 REV 1, 16554/25 etc.); approvals for attendance of third parties at Working Parties: Chief Veterinary Officers WP on 27–28 January 2026, and Working Party on International Environment Issues (UNECE Aarhus) on 11 February 2026 (document 5243/26 ENV); approval of AGRIFISH minutes (PV CONS AGRIFISH 27+28.10.2025, 14646/25 + COR 1 - ADD 1); and the agenda includes a Health Package information item from the Commission under Any Other Business.

Taiwan’s Cabinet announced tentative trade agreements with the United States to lower tariffs and extend most-favored treatment to Taiwan-exported semiconductors and related products.

• Main announcement/action: The Cabinet said the U.S. agreed to reduce the U.S. tariff on Taiwan from 20% to 15% (not stacked on MFN tariffs) and to grant Taiwan most-favored treatment under Section 232; the agreement also establishes a two-way investment mechanism and was reached tentatively on Thursday (U.S. time). Key commitments include Taiwanese companies making at least US$250 billion in direct investments in the U.S. semiconductor, energy and AI sectors and the Taiwanese government providing at least US$250 billion in credit guarantees to facilitate additional semiconductor-sector investment in the U.S.
• Background and details: The preferential treatment will also extend to lumber and auto parts; academics said the package is “close to an FTA.” The U.S. Commerce Department said Taiwan will facilitate U.S. investment in Taiwan’s semiconductor, AI, defense and biotechnology sectors. Comparative figures cited: Japan US$550 billion, South Korea US$350 billion, European Union US$600 billion in direct investment pledges (referenced for comparison).