Weather, climate and the air we breathe - WMO

Panama, November 2008 — The Secretary-General participated in the Sixth Conference
of Directors of Iberoamerican Meteorological and Hydrological Services.
Algeria
The Secretary-General visited Algiers
on 19 November 2008 to participate
in the African Conference of Ministers
in Charge of Environment on Climate
Change for Post-2012. The meeting
was a high-level preparatory event for
the COP 14 of the UNFCCC in Poznan,
Poland, in December 2008.
Addressing the meeting, Mr Jarraud
highlighted the importance of
developing African climate change
strategic plans, which will contribute
to better prepare the continent for
the impacts of climate change in the
21st century, including an effective
regional framework for all the relevant
national and regional climate change
programmes, with a view to identify
shortcomings and to remedy them in
the African context, in particular by
reinforcing and mobilizing the relevant
structures and institutions.
The conference was also an
opportunity for discussions with
ministers and executive heads of
international organizations present
at the session.
Panama
The Secretary-General visited Panama
to address the Sixth Conference
of Directors of Iberoamerican
Meteorological and Hydrological
Services (27-29 November 2008).
The objectives of the Conference of
Directors are the strengthening of
the institutional capacity of National
Meteorological and Hydrological
Services (NMHSs), enhancement of
education and training of personnel
and improvement of operational and
management capacities. Through
horizontal cooperation, the NMHSs
are able to optimize resources,
share experiences and integrate
meteorological and hydrological
development across two WMO
Regions.
During his visit, Mr Jarraud met with
the Minister for Panama Canal Affairs,
Mr Dani Kuzniecky; the Vice Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ricardo
Duran; the Manager of Empresa de
Transmisión Eléctrica SA (ETESA),
Mr Isaac Castillo; the Director of the
Spanish State Agency of Meteorology
and Permanent Representative of
Spain with WMO, Mr Francisco
Cadarso; and the Hydrometeorology
Manager of ETESA and Permanent
Representative of Panama with
WMO, Ms Luz Graciela M. de
Calzadilla.
Poland
The Secretary-General visited Poznan,
Poland, from 9 to 11 December 2008,
to attend the United Nations Climate
Change Conference (14th session
of the Conference of the Parties
to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC)). He hosted a working lunch
for 30 permanent representatives
and other senior representatives
of NMHSs, which provided an
opportunity for free interaction and
exchange of views among on the
ongoing conference.
Poznan, Poland, 10 December 2008 — The United Nations convened the side event
“Acting on climate change: the UN delivering as one“ (from left to right): Anna Tibaijuka,
Executive Director, UN-HABITAT; Kandeh Yumkella, Director-General, UNIDO; Michel
Jarraud, Secretary-General, WMO; Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General; Achim Steiner,
Executive Director, UNEP; Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and
Social Affairs; Katherine Sierra, Vice-President for Sustainable Development, World
Bank.
WMO Bulletin 58 (1) - January 2009 |