Geneva- Switzerland – As Part of UAE’s broad climate action efforts, a delegation headed by H.E. Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, Director General of the National Center of Meteorology (NCM), and President of the Regional Association II (Asia), participated in the Seventy-sixth Session of the Executive Council (EC-76) of World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which ran from 27 February to 3 March 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The meeting’s agenda included a discussion on Executive Council members’ recommendations on WMO’s draft Strategic Plan for 2024-2027, designating new acting Executive Council members, and confirming the date of the next WMO Congress from 22 May to 2 June, and the Seventy-seven Session of the Executive Council (EC-77) from 5-6 June 2023.
The session also discussed the proposal of the WMO Secretary-General to incur the maximum expenditure of the organization for the upcoming financial period, as well as the recommendations of the WMO’s new technical commissions including the Commission for Weather, Climate, Water, and Related Environmental Services and Applications (SERCOM) and the Commission for Observation, Infrastructure and Information Systems (INFCOM) based on the organization’s long-term goals.
On the sidelines of EC-76, Her Excellency Lubna Qassim, Deputy Permanent Representative of UAE Permanent Mission to United Nations in Geneva, introduced His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Al Mandous and his candidacy for WMO’s 2023-2027 presidency and held bilateral meetings with Permanent Representatives of the UN Mission in Geneva for Germany, France, Canada Jamaica, China, India, USA, Turkey, Finland, Australia, South Africa, and the European Union. During these meetings, Dr. Al Mandous shared with them his future vision, plans, and priorities to develop WMO’s work mechanisms, bolster global water security, and set up early warning systems to protect vulnerable communities which were well received by the Permanent Representatives who expressed their best wishes to Dr. A Mandous as the UAE’s official candidate for WMO presidency election.
During his participation in EC-76 sessions, Dr. Al Mandous presented his Presidential Report that included the 2024-27 regional priorities of the Asian region which was well up-taken into the Organization strategy. He also nominated Mr. Obayashi Masanori from Japan as the acting EC Member from RAII ASIA.
Dr. Al Mandous also highlighted the key achievements and upcoming plans of RAII and presented the outcomes of the recent RAII Management Group held in Abu Dhabi, which included the approval of the updated RAII Operating Plan and RAII Regional Partnership Strategy, as well as the submission of its regional priorities for 2024-27 and Research and Innovation priorities for 2023-2027.
Dr. Al Mandous said: “The EC sessions offer an ideal opportunity to promote coordination among WMO regions and to discuss the ongoing progress in implementing WMO’s strategic goals and plans given the regional and international developments in meteorology and related topics. Furthermore, the event allows us to take a comprehensive account of our regional and international priorities in tackling the extreme climate phenomena while reiterating our shared commitment to advancing the science of meteorology and weather forecasting to support global efforts towards climate change mitigation.”
Al Mandous also revealed that the next Regional Technical Conference (RECO) will take place from March 13 to 16 in Abu Dhabi and the conference agenda will include a High-Level Segment on the opening day followed by technical and research sessions. Invitations will be sent to all Ambassadors of the region to attend the High-level Segment, which will be an excellent opportunity to present the UN Call on Early Warning for All to the Governments and policymakers to build support and mobilize resources.
As President of the Regional Association II (Asia), Dr. Al Mandous shares his extensive knowledge and expertise in meteorology and regularly participates in EC sessions to present the views of the Association to the WMO Congress and Executive Council on regional challenges and priorities in the implementation of meteorological activities. He also offers valuable insight and ideas on addressing important topics related to meteorology, including climate change, weather forecasting, and the sustainable use of natural resources.
Earlier, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) named His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, the UAE’s Permanent Representative to WMO and the Regional Association II (Asia) President, as its official candidate for the WMO’s 2023 – 2027 Presidency.
As part of his election campaign, Al Mandous aims to accelerate an internationally coordinated action to achieve the UN Secretary-General’s request to ensure that “every person on Earth is protected by Early Warning Systems in the next five years” by working together with WMO’s key stakeholders and taking a five-pillar approach to deliver on WMO’s vision to promote resilience to the socioeconomic consequences of extreme weather, climate, water, and other environmental events. This approach focuses on supporting the role of Regional Associations’ Presidents and Permanent Representatives, making ‘Early Warnings for All’ a reality, advancing high-resolution climate computing research, recognizing WMO by the global society, and taking proactive steps in water security and renewable energy research.
