Event to draw participation of international dignitaries including Permanent Representatives of WMO Members from Asia, and key representatives of other UN commissions and offices

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 12 March 2023 – The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) in the UAE is set to host the Regional Conference (RECO) of WMO’s Regional Association II (Asia) in Abu Dhabi from 13 to 16 March 2023.

RECO aims to provide a forum for the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) of RA II to address the emerging issues and challenges, strengthen regional cooperation and enhance partnerships for the implementation of WMO resolutions and decisions in view of regional priorities. 
The Conference will feature a hybrid format with 150 participants, including the Permanent Representatives of WMO Members from Asia, and key representatives of United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

RECO will kick off on 13 March with a one-day high-level session focusing on the United Nation’s Early Warnings for All initiative. The session will be addressed by His Excellency Petri Taalas, WMO Secretary General, His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, Director General of the National Center of Meteorology (NCM), and President of the Regional Association II (Asia) along with the participation of the Ambassadors of RA II Asia’s 35-member countries. 
His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, Director General of the National Center of Meteorology (NCM), said: “The Regional Conference of RA II (Asia) is a crucial platform to discuss our collective efforts to enhance the region's early warning systems and improve resilience in the face of emerging weather and climate-related hazards. We are confident that the outcomes and recommendation of this event will contribute to strengthening the collaboration among NMHSs, enhancing their capacities to provide improved and more timely weather, climate and hydrological services, and develop effective and coordinated disaster response plans to protect lives and livelihoods.”

Al Mandous added: “Hosting this regional event demonstrates NCM’s prominent role in promoting national and regional capacity development, data exchange and research collaboration to develop more accurate and reliable weather forecasting models. By working together across borders, we aim to develop more effective and comprehensive strategies for mitigating the impacts of extreme weather events. This will ultimately improve the ability and preparedness of our countries to predict and respond to severe weather events and reduce their impact on lives, livelihoods, and properties.”
 
From 14 to 16 March, the conference will include sessions to cover technical matters and different components of early warning systems, infrastructure and meteorological and hydrological services. Furthermore, the RA II Research Forum will convene on the last day of the event. 
At the end of the conference, a high-level statement of the participants will be released on the UN initiative ‘Early warning for All’ for implementation of climate adaptation. The statement will commend the launch of the Executive Action Plan for the ‘Early warning for All’ initiative announced during last COP 27 and put forward its recommendations in support of the initiative.

The UN initiative ‘Early warning for All’ has gained significant momentum recently as part of the ongoing global efforts to tackle the impact of climate change. His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, who has been named by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) as the UAE’s official candidate for the presidency of WMO, announced that his election campaign will focus on accelerating an internationally coordinated action to achieve UN Secretary-General’s request to ensure that ‘every person on Earth is protected by Early Warning Systems in the next five years’. To achieve this goal, Dr. Al Mandous aims to take up the Executive Action Plan unveiled at COP 27 on Early Warning for All, lead its implementation and ensure the policy, technical and financial solutions to fast track the implementation.