Closing remarks by Prof. Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General on the occasion of the Executive Council 79

Before we close, I want to express my deep appreciation for the collective effort that made this Executive Council such a productive and meaningful session.

We meet at a time of rising geopolitical complexity. Yet throughout this session, we have seen a clear willingness to focus on what unites us - to build consensus and to uphold WMO as a trusted space for science-based cooperation.

I want to thank first and foremost the Members of the Executive Council - your active engagement, both in this room and online, is what gives meaning and weight to this process. 34 of our 37 Members or their alternates were physically present, with over 100 participants in person, and nearly 150 overall. Once again, the hybrid format proved its value, extending access and participation across the membership.

I also want to warmly acknowledge the Presidents and Chairs of our bodies - and especially the many experts who contribute their time, knowledge, and commitment to these bodies. This is part of what makes WMO’s model so unique: a model - built on cooperation, shared ownership, and Member-driven expertise - that allows us to achieve so much, even with limited resources. And it reminds us that sustaining momentum will always depend on the continued engagement of our Members, our partners, and our Secretariat.

We were also pleased to welcome contributions from our extended WMO family - observer organizations and institutional partners such as ECMWF, EUMETSAT, ACMAD, HMEI and many others. Your insights enriched the conversation and remind us that WMO stands at the heart of a much wider ecosystem of cooperation.

We also wanted this EC to reflect our commitment to efficiency - fewer documents, more space for strategy. This year we reduced the number of documents by nearly 40% compared to EC-78 - a step toward ensuring that your time here is used for shaping solutions and driving innovation.

Beyond the formal agenda, many bilateral and informal exchanges took place this week - helping to advance shared solutions and build partnerships. The AI Special Event was one example of this spirit: showcasing how fast opportunities can emerge when we bring together the expertise of our NMHSs with that from the private sector and the broader community.

In that spirit, I want to sincerely thank the Secretariat - not only for the visible work you have seen this week, but for the often unseen work that sustains our Organization throughout the year. I also want to recognize the voice of the Staff Association, which reminded us this week of the pressures and uncertainty felt by many of our colleagues. It is a timely reminder that we must continue to provide clarity, stability, and purpose to those who carry this mission forward.

And of course, my thanks to our interpreters, whose skill allows us to work each day as a true global community.