Strengthen early warnings and climate action, UN Secretary-General tells WMO Congress

Mr Guterres made his first ever address to WMO to celebrate its 75th anniversary as a UN specialized agency, praising it as “a barometer of truth … a credible and clear-eyed source of data and information about the planet we share … and a shining example of science supporting humanity.”

“Without your rigorous modelling and forecasting, we would not know what lies ahead — or how to prepare for it,” the UN Secretary-General told the interactive dialogue in a a packed WMO conference chamber.

“Without your long-term monitoring, we wouldn’t benefit from the warnings and guidance that protect communities and save millions of lives and billions of dollars each year,” he said.

Early Warnings For All

The Extraordinary Congress of the 193-Member WMO marks both the organization’s 75th anniversary and the half-way point of the Early Warnings for All Initiative launched by Mr Guterres in 2022 to ensure that everyone on the planet is covered by life-saving early warnings by the end of 2027.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo issued an urgent Call to Action at a high-level event at Congress to accelerate progress to achieve the target.

“We gather at a time when our mission has never been more urgent. Yet, this is not only a moment of challenge — it is also a moment of profound opportunity to harness climate intelligence and technological advances to build a more resilient future for all,” she said.

“I would like to emphasize once again the imperative to scale up multi-hazard early warnings and impact-based forecasting; to empower National Meteorological and Hydrological Services; to expand observing networks and data exchange; and broaden the tent – for both partners and beneficiaries. We must leave nobody behind,” she said.