Statement by Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, President of WMO, on the occasion of the WMO Executive Council Seventy-Ninth Session (EC-79)

In the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful,

Good Morning Everyone.

Dear Vice Presidents of WMO,

Dear Regional Association Presidents, 

Dear EC Members, 

Dear Secretary General and WMO Secretariats,

Distinguished Delegates, 

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

Welcome to the Executive Council 79. 

I remind here - by Article 6 (b) of the Convention - All EC members – 

• Shall act as representatives of the WMO and
• not as representatives of particular Member countries. 

It is with this spirit that I trust we can work together at this session for the best interest of the Organization. 

Firstly, I acknowledge and warmly congratulate the newly elected Presidents of the Regional Associations:

• Mr. Ghulam for Region II,
• Mr. Mingo as Acting President for Region III,
• Mr. Thompson for Region IV,
• Mr. Fifita as Acting President for Region V.

Welcome to the EC-79 Session. 

In my role as President of WMO, I take immense pride in the opportunity it gives me to focus on providing political leadership and guidance in promoting and strengthening the role of our National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and the Permanent Representatives of WMO in their countries and with their Line Ministers. 

For example, I recently had the honor of addressing the 4th Ministerial Conference of RIMES in Sri Lanka. 

During my address, I drew their attention to the escalating impacts of extreme weather, drawing upon the alarming findings presented in the WMO Global State of the Climate 2024 report. I urged the Line Ministers from Asia, Africa, and the Southwest Pacific in attendance to:

• Prioritize investments in Earth observations,
• Accelerate investment and innovation in Earth sciences, and
• Support their relevant national entities politically and financially 

During the visit, 

I had the distinct honor of meeting with the Honorable Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, along with Sri Lanka’s PR.

We exchanged perspectives on the growing challenges of climate change and explored avenues for enhanced collaboration. I made a compelling case with the Prime Minister and the Ministers for the institution of regular and sustained national budget allocations for meteorological services, underscoring that such investment is not an expense but a strategic imperative that yields significant returns in terms of resilience, safety, and sustainable growth for every country. 

These meetings were a powerful affirmation, not only for strengthening Sri Lanka's national meteorological capabilities but also for underscoring the vital political and administrative gains that our PRs can secure through such high-level engagement. I can also foresee such Ministerial engagements in our Constituent body meetings. Further information on similar engagements is contained in my report to EC - EC-79/INF. 2.1.

Dear EC Members, 

Let us turn to WMO’s top priority on Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL). 

I am happy to note that making EW4ALL a reality remains within reach with the current progress rate. We are witnessing tangible progress, and this success is fortified by our indispensable allies:

• The SOFF, acting as our shield by closing critical data gaps, and
• The CREWS Initiative, our sword, translating data into immediate, actionable warnings. 

The recent landmark agreement between the ACMAD African Centre of Meteorological Application Development and the WMO, funded by CREWS, to strengthen institutional and digital services in eight African meteorological services, exemplifies this progress in making "Early Warnings for All" a tangible reality. 

I am also actively engaging with my government of the United Arab Emirates to bolster this initiative through the "AIM for Scale - AI Package for Agricultural Meteorology Initiative," expecting a significant contribution soon. I urge all our esteemed partners and members to impress upon your governments the critical importance of further supporting these initiatives. Through continued collaboration and unwavering commitment, we can ensure every person on Earth has access to the early warnings they need, fostering a more resilient global community. 

Dear EC Members,

My next focus is on Advance Targeted research. 

AI is rapidly reshaping how we work, creating a demand for new skills and increased adoption of AI Technology.

We need to embrace this challenge, balancing short-term caution with long-term engagement with AI innovation and its expansion. In this regard, I proposed to the Bureau, a WMO AI Conference in the UAE with full support from my government. The conference, “AI for Weather Prediction – Advances, Challenges & Outlook” will take place 9-11 September 2025 at NCM Head Quarter. This conference will explore how rapidly evolving AI/ML technologies are transforming Earth system forecasts and services. 

Our goal is to unite public, private, and academic sectors to reduce barriers and improve weather prediction capabilities globally, leading to a WMO Congress Statement on AI. I have every confidence that the AI Research to Operations advancements spearheaded by the USA, China, and Europe will swiftly revolutionize the operations of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) across the globe." 

Dear Members, 

We stand at a pivotal moment. In March of this year, Secretary-General António Guterres launched the UN 80 Initiative – a comprehensive reform agenda that is a wake-up call for all UN institutions, including WMO. It demands we become more effective, more efficient, and far more responsive to the challenges facing humanity and the urgent needs of the people we serve. 

It is time to brace for action.

We must take decisive steps to align with this UN80 vision, ensuring the WMO is truly fit for purpose in this rapidly changing world, delivering on our core mission. 

We must embrace streamlining operations, cutting costs, eliminating duplication, and optimizing how we use every resource. This also means confronting head-on the financial challenges that threaten our sustainability due to the current geopolitical developments. 

We must support our Secretary General for the interim measures to be undertaken by her in the coming months. 

We, as the EC, can also recommend a longer-term solution to this matter. 

Taking this opportunity, I want to express the WMO's profound appreciation to all our members. A special “Thank you” goes to our top six contributing countries—the USA, China, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France—for their substantial assessed contributions to the WMO budget. Your unwavering support is vital to WMO’s collective mission. 

On behalf of all WMO Members, I also extend our deep gratitude to pioneering nations like the United States, China, European Members, Japan, Russia, India, and Republic of Korea for their advanced weather satellite programs and open data sharing, creating an unparalleled global observing system that benefits all members. 

Thanks also to the SOFF and CREWS funding Members for their great support towards the implementation of EW4ALL. 

Dear EC Members, 

As we move toward UNFCCC COP 30 in November, let us benefit from the lessons learned from COP28 and COP 29 to further strengthen our participation. 

COP30 is of paramount importance for the WMO. We will reinforce our position as the authoritative voice on the state of the global climate, providing the latest scientific data and analysis to inform negotiations and policy decisions, especially concerning updated Nationally Determined Contributions.

The 2026 United Nations Water Conference, co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal, will take place in UAE 2-4 December 2026. This Conference presents a major opportunity for WMO and its Members to demonstrate our indispensable role in shaping global water policy and fostering sustainable water management solutions. Let us participate and promote WMO as a promising leader in water-related matters. 

Finally, by working together, we can build a stronger WMO that empowers regions, enables Early Warnings for All, and fosters a more resilient future for our planet. We have many important decisions to make at this EC, and I am sure I can rely on your active engagement and wise advice. 

Thank you.