Geneva: Dr. Abdulla Ahmed Al Mandous, President of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and Director-General of the UAE National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), chaired the Extraordinary Session of the World Meteorological Congress held at WMO headquarters in Geneva. The session was attended by Ant³nio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, along with WMO Regional Association Presidents and senior UN officials.
According to Emirates News Agency, the high-level meeting focused on accelerating the implementation of the 'Early Warnings for All' (EW4ALL) initiative. The goal is to enhance strategic coordination across the UN system to ensure that every person on Earth is protected by early-warning systems by 2027. In his opening address, Dr. Al Mandous highlighted the session as a significant milestone in advancing the global early-warning agenda first championed by Guterres.
Dr. Al Mandous emphasized the need for formal, strategic alignment across the UN system to deliver on this vision effectively. He proposed enhancing WMO's engagement with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to integrate weather, climate, and water activities with broader sustainable development goals. He also called for closer coordination with specialized UN agencies to ensure harmonized action and unified policies on shared priorities.
He reaffirmed that investing in early-warning systems is both a moral duty and an economic necessity, noting that every dollar invested yields nine dollars in benefits and saves countless lives. Dr. Al Mandous stressed the importance of strengthening partnerships across the UN system to ensure timely, accurate weather, climate, and water information reaches every community on Earth.
UN Secretary-General Ant³nio Guterres delivered keynote remarks, commending the WMO as an essential force behind rational climate decisions. He emphasized the importance of meteorological services in providing long-term monitoring and scientific precision, which are crucial for protecting communities and preventing economic losses. He reiterated the urgent need for united global action in addressing the climate crisis.