World Meteorological Organization

Considering a good number of drivers, such as the ongoing reform of the United Nations Development System, the 2030 Agenda, the COVID-19 crisis, as well as the WMO Early Warning System Initiative, requiring joint actions and strengthened cooperation among all UN organizations, WMO and UNECE high-level officials met to exchange the views and identify the strategic opportunities for collaboration and partnership between WMO Regional Association VI and UNECE. WMO was represented by the WMO Assistant Secretary-General, WMO RA VI president, WMO Regional Office for Europe and WMO Infrastructure Department.   

The two UN agencies have already a good strategic and technical cooperation on various subjects, such as: the Environmental and Climate Change Indicators and Statistics; the Integrated Monitoring Initiative for the Sustainable Development Goal 6; the Transboundary waters; the Air Measurements and Modelling; the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment; the Climate change adaptation; the Regional Collaborative Platform and the Sustainable Development Goals.

In addition to the existing cooperation of WMO and UNECE, the meeting identified specific areas where working together would be most beneficial. The following priority and key areas of joint interest were identified in connection to climate change: Road safety, Energy, urban development and forests, joint analysis, advocacy, policy coordination and country support on several cross cutting issues in the fields of weather, water and climate.

As part of it, several products and events were subject of discussions, such as the WMO-led Regional flagship annual report; the Regionalization of the International Network for Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems, and the High-level Ministerial Meetings to improve the uptake of the WMO polices, based on the adopted decisions, resolutions and recommendations. 

Other collaboration ideas were exchanged and will serve as a basis for an inter-agency collaboration agreement.