High-Level Event on the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Initiative
Switzerland
This year marks the halfway point of the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative. Launched by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in 2022, the initiative aims to ensure that every person on Earth is protected by multi-hazard early warning systems by the end of 2027. Over the past three years, EW4All has secured broad political support at the highest levels and is now at a critical juncture, requiring renewed momentum and a sharpened focus on delivery.
As the EW4All initiative enters its second phase amid an increasingly complex global landscape, WMO convened a high-level session at the outset of its Extraordinary Congress with particular emphasis on Pillar 2 - hazard monitoring and forecasting.
This event was an opportunity to bridge global policy commitments with local realities. Discussions focused on how multilateral cooperation is delivering tangible results on the ground - particularly for the people most at risk.
Interventions explored the following priority areas:
- Country ownership – Governments commit to strengthening their multi-hazard early warning systems through financial, legal and institutional foundations.
- Scaling up regional collaboration – Stakeholders leverage competitive advantages and extend the reach of early warning benefits.
- Closing the digital divide – Partners commit to closing the digital divide and facilitating country access to information and communication technologies, including global forecasting systems.
- Empowering communities - Systems are co-designed with those most at risk, including women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and persons with disabilities, to ensure that early warnings are trusted, relevant, and actionable.
Agenda
09:30 – 10:00 CET
Congress Opening Session
- Prof. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) (Watch video highlight)
- Her Excellency Élisabeth Baume-Schneider, Federal Councillor, Switzerland (Watch video highlight)
10:00 – 11:00 CET
Statements by Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ministers on EW4All commitment and results
- His Excellency Daniel Francisco Chapo, President of the Republic of Mozambique (Watch video highlight)
- Her Excellency Sara Aagesen Muñoz, Third Vice-President and Minister for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Spain (Watch video highlight)
- Honourable Samuel Nartey George, Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Ghana (Watch video highlight)
- Mr. Émile Zerbo, Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Mobility, Burkina Faso (Watch video highlight)
- Honourable Dr Umayra Taghiyeva, Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Azerbaijan (Watch video highlight)
- Honourable Carlos Batista, Vice-Minister of Protected Areas and Biodiversity, Dominican Republic
- Honourable Uroš Vajgl, State Secretary, Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy, Slovenia
11:00 – 11:15 CET
Launch of EW4All in Focus: Hazard Monitoring & Forecasting and presentation on national/regional progress and gaps from a Pillar 2 perspective
11:15 – 11:30 CET
WMO Secretary-General’s Call to Action on EW4All, outlining priorities to accelerate progress with support to National Meteorological and Hydrological Services
11:30 – 12:25 CET
High-level panel: high-impact commitments from UN, private sector and financial institutions to bridge EW4All pillars and streamline support for impact
- Mr. Gavin White - Interim Head of the Risk-Informed Early Action Partnership Secretariat and Thematic Lead for Partnerships & Marketplace
- Ms. Rabab Fatima - Under Secretary-General and High Representative Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (Watch video highlight)
- Dr Maximilian Martin - Global Head of Philanthropy, Lombard Odier (Watch video highlight)
- Mr. Ashutosh Chadha, Senior Director UN Affairs and International Organizations – Microsoft Switzerland (Watch video highlight)
- Mr. Amjad Abdulla, Director General of the Climate Change Department at the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, Republic of Maldives (Watch video highlight)
- Her Excellency Eleonore Caroit, Minister Delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships, and French Nationals Abroad, Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, France (Watch video highlight)
12:25 – 12:30 CET
WMO 75th Anniversary Closing Video
Download Brochure - A Global Effort to Protect Communities and Economies
Speakers