Opening remarks by the WMO President at the Interactive Dialogue with the UN Secretary-General at the World Meteorological Congress

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Friends

It is a profound honour to open this special event and to extend a warm welcome to the Secretary-General of the United Nations,  Mr  António Guterres, to this Extraordinary Session of the World Meteorological Congress. We also have the privilege of having with us today the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Ms Tatiana Valovaya. 

Secretary-General Guterres — a physicist, an engineer, a visionary, and a global leader — your call to action on World Meteorological Day, 23 March 2022, to ensure that every person on Earth is protected by early warning systems within five years, has been truly transformative. It has elevated early warning systems to the top of global priorities. The call of the WMO Secretary-General presented earlier this week outlines a bold roadmap to accelerate implementation in the years ahead. 

From the First Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement, to the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, and the Pact for the Future — your leadership has helped embed early warning systems into the very fabric of international agreements. Thanks to your unwavering advocacy, early warnings are now recognized at the highest levels as cost-effective, life-saving, and cross-cutting solutions that reduce climate risk and advance sustainable development.

Our community is deeply grateful for your leadership, Secretary-General, and steadfast support, and we look forward to hearing your vision for the road ahead.

Secretary-General, you have the floor.