Regional Association II (ASIA) - E-Library - WMO

42 ABRIDGED FINAL REPORT OF THE THIRTEENTH SESSION OF RA IIrole as a leading international organization dealingwith natural disaster reduction, promote the activitiesfrom the perspective of various WMO Programmes,and enhance the recognition of the contribution ofNMHSs in natural disaster mitigation andmanagement at national and regional levels bydecision makers, international organizations anddevelopment partners. The Association noted withappreciation that the Secretary-General hadestablished a Task Team in the Secretariat for thepreparation of the WCDR for the planning andcoordination of WMO’s activities in that regard.11.8 The Association noted that, in the course ofthose activities, several actions had beenundertaken, including the preparation of a pamphlet,a brochure and media information material on WMOactivities on disaster prevention and mitigation; theparticipation in various meetings, especially throughthe ISDR Inter-agency Task Force working groups inreviewing material on prospective outcomes of theConference; the preparation for the thematic areaevents during the Conference in which theOrganization would take a leading role; thesensitization of Members on events leading up to theConference; and the preparation and distribution ofWMO’s position paper on the subject.11.9 The Association recognized the importanceof a large participation of NMHSs in WCDR andurged its Members to make efforts in ensuring thatNMHS representatives were part of nationaldelegations to the Conference and worked closelywith relevant national committees on disasterreduction, particularly those coordinating nationalpositions for the Conference Secretariat, as vitalinputs to a successful event in Kobe, Japan.11.10 The Association noted that during theConference a WMO Public Forum was scheduled tobe held on 21 January 2005 co-sponsored by theOrganization and JMA.11.11 The Association noted the development ofthe DPM web page in collaboration with Hong Kong,China, and urged Members to provide support to thatinitiative. The Association recognized theimportance of that web page in enhancing WMO’svisibility in the area of natural disaster preventionand mitigation. The Association urged its Membersto provide relevant information on their activities tothe Secretariat to be included in the web page inorder to ensure that that page would become areference page for the natural disaster riskmanagement community.11.12 The Association was informed of theactivities of the Emergency and Disaster ResponseGroup (EDRG) within the WMO Secretariat andnoted the active involvement of the regional andsubregional offices in those activities.11.13 The Association adopted Resolution 22(XIII-RA II), which established a Working Group onNatural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. TheAssociation requested the Secretary-General to takethe necessary measures, within the available budgetand resources, to support the activities of the Group.12. WMO SPACE PROGRAMME —REGIONAL ASPECTS (agenda item 12)12.1 The Association was informed thatFourteenth Congress had established a new majorcross-cutting Programme, the WMO SpaceProgramme, in response to the momentousexpansion in the availability of satellite data,products and services and in recognition of theincrease in responsibilities for WMO. The fifty-fourthsession of the Executive Council had agreed toestablish a WMO Space Programme as a matter ofpriority, and had felt that the scope, goals andobjectives of the new WMO Space Programmeshould respond to the tremendous growth in theutilization of environmental satellite data, productsand services within the expanded space-basedcomponent of the GOS that now includedappropriate R&D environmental satellite missions.Fourteenth Congress had also supported the WMOSpace Programme Long-term Strategy reviewed atthe third session of the Consultative Meetings onHigh-level Policy on Satellite Matters. FourteenthCongress had agreed that the WMO SpaceProgramme Long-term Strategy provided anexcellent balance to the 6LTP and the programmeand budget for 2004–2007. Thus, FourteenthCongress had believed it important to establish thenew WMO Space Programme as a major crosscuttingProgramme and had adopted Resolution 5(Cg-XIV).12.2 The Association noted that FourteenthCongress had agreed that the main thrust of theWMO Space Programme Long-term Strategy shouldbe:To make an increasing contribution to thedevelopment of the WWW GOS, as well asto the other WMO-supported Programmesand associated observing systems (suchas AREP’s GAW, GCOS, WCRP, HWRP’sWHYCOS and JCOMM’s implementation ofGOOS) through the provision ofcontinuously improved data, products andservices, from both operational and R&Dsatellites, and to facilitate and promote theirwider availability and meaningful utilizationaround the globe.12.3 The Association noted further that the mainelements of the WMO Space Programme Long-termStrategy had been agreed as follows:(a) Increased involvement of space agenciescontributing, or with the potential tocontribute, to the space-based componentof the GOS;(b) Promotion of a wider awareness of theavailability and utilization of data, products— and their importance at levels 1, 2, 3 or4 — and services, including those fromR&D satellites;