High-Level Event on the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Initiative

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.

View Livestream Recording

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)