Regional UN Collaborative Platform for Europe and Central Asia Meeting
The Regional UN Collaborative Platform for Europe and Central Asia (RCP-ECA) meeting, hosted by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, gathered key regional UN stakeholders and regional experts to align on development priorities, accelerate SDG progress, and address critical regional challenges.
Opening remarks were made by Ms. Tatiana Molcean, RCP Vice-Chair and UNECE Executive Secretary, who shared insights from global UN discussions, and Ms. Ivana Zivkovic, RCP Vice-Chair and UNDP Regional Director for Europe and CIS, who emphasized the significance of regional cooperation. Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, welcomed the participants and highlighted the WHO European Programme of Work, setting the tone for ongoing consultations on the WHO's new strategic vision for 2025-2030.
In his intervention, Dr. Kluge emphasized the critical importance of climate change and its direct impact on public health. He highlighted ongoing efforts, such as the Heat-Health Action Plan and the Budapest Declaration, which aim to mitigate the health risks of heatwaves in Europe. Dr. Kluge also pointed out the upcoming Reykjavik event, which will officially launch the European Commission’s Climate and Health Initiative, and the planned Thematic Hearings on Climate Change and Health scheduled for 7 February 2025. He noted that these initiatives reflect a strategic shift in the approach to climate and health, which would be integrated into WHO's next strategic vision for 2025-2030.
Mrs. Natalia Berghi, Regional Programme Officer at WMO Regional Office for Europe, contributed to the discussions by stressing the strong collaboration between WMO and WHO through their joint office, particularly in addressing the health impacts of climate change, with a focus on heatwaves. She expressed WMO’s commitment to support WHO in the consultative process for developing the new strategic vision and emphasized the role of the Early Warning for All (EW4All) Initiative in mitigating the health risks of heat. Furthermore, she highlighted the recent partnership between WHO Office in Bonn and the WMO Regional Strategic Communication Team to harmonize messaging on this critical issue, alongside the opportunity for coordination through the new Directorate-General on Human Rights, Health, and Environment at the European Council.
Dr. Kornelia Radics, Director of the WMO Regional Office for Europe, further underscored the importance of the EW4All Initiative aligning with EU Disaster Resilience Goals. She called for a regional strategy on communication with the EU to engage the EU in regional UN initiatives aligned with SDGs. Dr. Radics also mentioned the importance of joint UN-EU reports, such as the European State of the Climate report released annually by WMO and EU Copernicus, and the role of the WMO-EUMETNET Office in Brussels, which facilitates collaboration between WMO and the EU on weather, water and climate.
The meeting also addressed other key topics, such as the shrinking space for civil society, strategies for enhancing support to UN Country Teams for SDG acceleration, and the need for improved data collection to track SDG progress. Participants engaged in discussions about the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development 2025, emphasizing the need for inclusive, evidence-based solutions to advance the 2030 Agenda.
Overall, the meeting emphasized the need for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and strategic partnerships to tackle the region’s most pressing challenges. WMO’s interventions on climate change and health, particularly regarding heat risks, the Early Warning for All Initiative, and its EU collaboration, were central to the discussions and will continue to play a pivotal role in advancing regional efforts to meet the SDGs.