Regional Association II

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World Economic Forum (WEF) EW4All message

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WMO Bulletin Vol. 73(1) - 2024

Articles, interviews and stories highlighting the Secretary-General's path forward to engage with Members and staff

Welcome to the RA II Community Platform!

We are delighted to welcome you to the Regional Association II (Asia) Community Platform. This platform serves as a central hub for WMO Members across the region, providing you with the latest news, upcoming meetings, and valuable resources.

If you need any assistance or have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to the Regional Office for Asia and the South-West Pacific (RAP). We are here to support you in your important work.

Meetings and Events

WMO Regional Association II (RA II) FAQs

General

Q: What is the WMO Community Platform?

A: The WMO Community Platform is a collaborative webpage that facilitates information sharing between WMO's Members and partners and the WMO Secretariat. The various tools on the webpage allow Members and partners to easily access relevant information as well as manage their involvement in WMO-related activities.

For detailed information on the Community Platform, please click here.

Q: Whom is this RA II Community Platform page for?

A: The main page and public document folders are accessible to all Members and partners interested in obtaining information about RA II and its activities. Members of the respective RA II subsidiary bodies are kindly requested to log in to access the private document folders under the 'Documents and Publications' sections in the subsidiary body pages.

Q: What do all the acronyms on the page mean?

A: Members and partners are welcome to use the United Nations Terminology Database (UNTERM) to decode acronyms. UNTERM is a multilingual terminology database maintained jointly by the United Nations Secretariat and certain specialized agencies of the UN system such as WMO.

About RA II

Q: What is RA II?

A: RA II refers to Regional Association II (Asia). WMO divides its 193 Members into 6 Regional Associations and the list of Members in each Regional Association can be found here. RA II has 35 Members and four working languages -- Arabic, Chinese, English, and Russian.

Q: What is the RA II Operating Plan?

A: The RA II Operating Plan (2021-2024) is a living document which guides the work of the regional association during the four-year intersessional period. It details the key result areas of each RA II subsidiary body as well as the respective deliverables, key performance indicators (KPIs) and related activities. The RA II Operating Plan is aligned with the WMO Strategic Plan and RA II regional priorities and takes into consideration all requests made by Congress and Executive Council to the regional associations. It promotes interaction between RA II, INFCOM, SERCOM and the Research Board through synergies with the WMO Operating Plan. The RA II Operating Plan may be updated as necessary by the RA II subsidiary bodies, with approval from the RA II Management Group (MG).

Q: How was the RA II Operating Plan established?

A: The RA II Operating Plan (2021-2024) was approved at RA II-17 (Phase 2) in September 2021. The RA II Operating Plan (2021-2024) was the result of discussions between the RA II subsidiary bodies and the WMO Secretariat, taking into account regional priorities, requests from Congress and the Executive Council, as well as the WMO long-term goals. It was approved as a living document, to be edited as necessary (with the approval of RA II MG) to reflect the changing needs and priorities of the region.

Q: What is the WMO Experts Database?

A: The Experts Database is a component of the WMO Community Platform that contains information about experts who may be nominated for the work of the regional associations and technical commissions. It facilitates the expert nomination process and helps community users find available experts in various areas of work.

Using the Webpage

DOCUMENTS AND OTHER RESOURCES

Q: Where can I find the latest RA II Operating Plan?

A: The latest RA II Operating Plan (2021-2024) can be found on the RA II Community Platform page, in the 'Governance' section.

Q: Where can I find more information on what each subsidiary body (including their substructures such as Expert Teams) does?

A: Further information (including the Terms of Reference) is available in the respective pages, accessible through the left panel on the main RA II Community Platform webpage. You may also access the Terms of Reference for the RA II subsidiary bodies in Annex to Resolution 2 (RA II-17(I)) and for the substructures in Update on Working Structure (RA II-17(II).

Q: Where can I find documents from previous RA II sessions?

A: The 17th Session of Regional Association II was held virtually in 2021 in two phases -- Phase 1 from 25 to 26 May and Phase 2 from 27 to 30 September. The final report is available here. For reports from earlier sessions, please visit the WMO Library.

Q: Where can I find more information about partners and resources in the region such as Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), Regional Centres, training opportunities, and regional collaborative mechanisms?

A: Please refer to the RA II Partnership Strategy for a summary of RA II partnerships and opportunities. The RA II Partnership Strategy continues to be developed and will be updated periodically by the RA II Task Team on Review of the Regional Partnership and Sub-regional Cooperation (TT-RP).

MEETINGS AND EVENTS

Q: Where can I find a list of upcoming meetings and events? If I have not received an invitation, can I attend these meetings/events?

A: A list of upcoming meetings and events can be found on the RA II Community Platform home page under the 'Upcoming Events and Meetings' section. Meeting details are typically circulated via email to all invited participants in advance of the meeting. Invitations to subsidiary body meetings are sent directly to subsidiary body members and invited experts (if any). Invitations to meetings/events open to all RA II Members will be shared with the Permanent Representative with WMO and/or the National Hydrological Adviser.

Q: Where can I find resources related to previous meetings and events such as reports, minutes and presentations?

A: A list of concluded meetings/events can be found here. Where available, links to resources such as meeting reports, minutes and presentations have also been included. Please note that access to certain resources may be limited and members of the respective subsidiary bodies may be required to log in to be granted access.

Others

Q: Some information on the webpage is incorrect. What can I do?

A: The list of members in each subsidiary body is automatically generated based on information in the WMO Experts Database. Should there be incorrect information, Agency Approvers* are kindly requested to log in and make any changes necessary. Should assistance be required, please reach out to the Secretariat at community@wmo.int. The main page is periodically reviewed and updated by the WMO Regional Office for Asia and the South-West Pacific (RAP). Please reach out to us at RAP@wmo.int to request any changes to the page.

*Agency Approvers are appointed by PRs (Permanent Representatives), and they are authorized to act on behalf of a PR or WMO partner organization. For detailed information, please click here.

Q: How often is this page updated?

A: The list of members in each subsidiary body is automatically generated based on information in the WMO Experts Database. Please allow up to three working days for changes made to the Experts Database to be reflected on this page. All links and documents are periodically reviewed and updated by the WMO Regional Office for Asia and the South-West Pacific (RAP). Please reach out to us at RAP@wmo.int should you have any questions or concerns.

Q: I would like to nominate and/or deactivate experts using the WMO Experts Database but am having difficulty doing so. If I need help or have other questions regarding the WMO Experts Database, who should I contact?

A: Please note that actions such as nominating and deactivating experts can only be performed by Permanent Representatives and Agency Approvers. An Experts Database User Manual is available here and video tutorials are available here. Should you require further assistance, please email the WMO Secretariat at community@wmo.int.

If you have further questions about the RA II Community Platform, please contact us at: RAP@wmo.int

Governance

RA II presents opportunities and challenges in the areas of observation and monitoring of the weather, climate, water and environment. In order to respond to the needs of Members in these areas, RA II has been structured into two Working Groups, eighteen expert teams, two task teams, the Coordination Panel on Hydrology and Water Resources and the Regional Focal Points on Research. The working structure of RA II is reviewed every 4-5 years at the RA II session. The current working structure is given below (click boxes to see details).

RA II Operating Plan 2021-2024

RA II Operating Plan is the primary platform of all regional activities under WMO.

View RA II Operating Plan (Version 3, RA II MG-18, November 2022)

To know more about RA II governance

Rules of Procedure for Regional Associations

WMO-No. 1241, 2019 Edition

Report by the president of RA II, including RA II priorities (2024–2027)

most recent version, to Cg-19, 22 May-2 June 2023

RA II Implementation Plan 2021-2023

Completed, On-going and proposed activities

RA II Partnership Strategy

Version 2, RA II MG-18, November 2022

RA II Research and Innovation Priorities

RA II MG-18, November 2022

WMO Member Profiles

Please select the Member you are interested in

WIPPS Centres in RA II

32 Centres/Networks and 15 Activities. Please use a filter for RA II

GBON Station Designation Web Tool

Draft Resolution 4.2(2)/1 (Cg-19) - Initial GBON Composition

RA II Involvement in Technical Commissions and Research Board

Please try a different browser if the page fails to load

WMO Experts Database

RA II - Frequently Asked Questions

Our Members

Regional Association II has 35 Members representing a wide diversity of territories and climatic zones.

RA II Partnership Strategy

RA II Partnership Strategy is a key document guiding collaborative efforts in the region.

View RA II Partnership Strategy (Version 2, RA II MG-18, November 2022)

Key Regional Partners

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated as ASEAN, is a political and economic union of 10 states in Southeast Asia.

Visit ASEAN Website

The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC)

The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf(Arabic: مجلس التعاون لدول الخلیج العربية), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; Arabic: مجلس التعاون الخليجي), is a regional, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Visit GCC Website

Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

ESCAP is an intergovernmental platform in Asia-Pacific promoting cooperation among its 53 member States and 9 associate members in pursuit of solutions to sustainable challenges.

Visit ESCAP Website

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966. The bank admits the members of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, formerly the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East or ECAFE), and non-regional developed countries. Starting with 31 members at its establishment, ADB now has 68 members.

Visit ADB Website

ESCAP / WMO Typhoon Committee

The ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee (TC) is an intergovernmental organization established in 1968 under the auspices of ESCAP and WMO, whose mission is to integrate and enhance regional (meteorological, hydrological, and disaster risk reduction) activities of Members within international frameworks to reduce the loss of lives and minimize social, economic, and environmental impacts by typhoon-related disasters.

Visit Typhoon Committee Website

The Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES)

The Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) is an intergovernmental institution owned and managed by its member states, for building capacities in the generation and application of user-relevant early warning. RIMES evolved from the efforts of countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, to establish a regional early warning system within a multi-hazard framework.

Visit RIMES Website

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge sharing centre serving the eight regional member countries (RMCs) of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region.

Visit ICIMOD Website

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC)

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) is an autonomous international organization for cooperation in and implementation of disaster risk reduction and building climate resilience in Asia and the Pacific.

Visit ADPC Website

The Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC)

The Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) was established in Kobe, Hyogo prefecture, in 1998 with the mission of enhancing the disaster resilience of its member countries, building safe communities, and creating a society where sustainable development is attainable.

Visit ADRC Website

Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization(APSCO)

The Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) headquartered in Beijing was inaugurated in 2008 as an inter-governmental organization. APSCO provides a cooperative mechanism for developing countries in the region to be able to main stream peaceful use of space as a drive of development.

Visit APSCO Website

The Asian and Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management (APDIM)

The Asian and Pacific Centre for the Development of Disaster Information Management (APDIM) is mandated to reduce human and material losses due to natural hazards and contribute to the effective design, investment and implementation of disaster risk reduction and resilience policies.

Visit APDIM Website

Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA)

The Indian Ocean Rim Association is an inter-governmental organisation which was established on 7 March 1997.The vision for IORA originated during a visit by late President Nelson Mandela of South Africa to India in 1995. This sentiment and rationale underpinned the Indian Ocean Rim Initiative in March 1995, and the creation of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (then known as the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Co-operation) two years later, in March 1997.

Visit IORA Website

WMO Regional Office for Asia and the South-West Pacific

The WMO Regional Office for Asia and the South-West Pacific (RAP) assists Members of Regional Association II (Asia) and Members of Regional Association V (South-West Pacific).

Our Offices in RA II

Regional Office for Asia and the South-West Pacific

36 Kim Chuan Road,
Singapore 537054
Singapore
Email: rap@wmo.int

WMO Inter-Regional Representative Office for the Arab Region (IOAR)

United Nations House 69
Road 1901, Hoora 319
PO Box 26814,
Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
Email: rap@wmo.int

Our Staff for RA II

Singapore Office

Ben Churchill

Director

Jun Yu

Regional Officer

Ryuji Yamada

Programme Manager

Yongqing Chen

Technical Coordinator (Infrastructure)

Jochen Luther

Technical Coordinator (Services)

Sangeeta Kaur

Administrative Assistant

Yuyi Shen

Associate Coordination Officer (JPO)

Julianne Thu

Seconded Expert

Muzi Zhou

Intern

Bahrain Office

Hesham Ghany

WMO Representative for the Arab Region

News & Releases

Recent Releases

Type	Description	Release Date

Previous releases (archive)

Resources

RA II Session Report

RA II-17

Regional Association II (Asia)

Abridged Final Report of the Seventeenth Session

25–26 May 2021 (virtual session); 27–30 September 2021 (virtual session)

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

2021

English, Arabic, Chinese, Russian

Click to view more past session reports

State of Climate in Asia Reports

23 April 2024

State of the Climate in Asia 2023

27 July 2023

State of the Climate in Asia 2022

14 November 2022

State of the Climate in Asia 2021

A multilingual terminology database

WMO E-Correspondence

RA II - Frequently Asked Questions

Meetings & Events

Type	Description	Venue	Date

Note: White background indicates passed meetings. Light blue background indicates upcoming and ongoing meetings. Bold text indicates today's meetings.