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EC WORKING GROUP ON WMO STRATEGIC AND OPERATIONAL PLANNING (WG/SOP)
Second Session
GENEVA, 21-23 January 2013 / EC WG/SOP-II(2013)/Doc. 3.2(1)
(21.XII.2012)
Item: 3.2
ENGLISH ONLY
UPDATE ON THE FIVE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
Global Framework for Climate Services
(Submitted by the Secretariat)
The document presents an update on the progress with the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS).
ACTION PROPOSED
The working group is invited to note progress on the development of the GFCS.
References:
1. Abridged final report with resolutions of the Extraordinary Session of the World Meteorological Congress, Part I (Geneva, 29 – 31 October 2012), WMO-No 1102
ftp://ftp.wmo.int/Documents/PublicWeb/mainweb/meetings/cbodies/governance/congress_reports/english/pdf/1102_Part1_en.pdf;
2. Abridged final report with resolutions of the Sixty-fourth session of the Executive Council, Part I (Geneva, 25 June – 3 July 2012), WMO-No 1092, Resolutions 3 (Terms of Reference of the Executive Council Working Group on Climate and related Weather, Water and Environmental Matters, and Resolution 4 (Executive Council Task Team on the WMO Policy for International Exchange of Climate Data and Products to Support the Implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services)
ftp://ftp.wmo.int/Documents/PublicWeb/mainweb/meetings/cbodies/governance/executive_council_reports/english/pdf/64_session_1092_part1_en.pdf;
3. Abridged final report with resolutions of Sixteenth World Meteorological Congress (Geneva, 16 May – 3 June 2011), WMO-No 1077, general summary, paragraph 11.1.1-11.1.41
ftp://ftp.wmo.int/Documents/PublicWeb/mainweb/meetings/cbodies/governance/congress_reports/english/pdf/1077_en.pdf ;
4. Abridged final report with resolutions of the Sixty-third session of the Executive Council, Part I (Geneva 6 – 8 June 2011), WMO-No 1078, general summary, Resolution 1 – Establishment of an Executive Council Task Team on the Global Framework for
Climate Services);
ftp://ftp.wmo.int/Documents/PublicWeb/mainweb/meetings/cbodies/governance/executive_council_reports/english/pdf/63_session_1078_part1_en.pdf3;
5. The report of the High-level Taskforce for the Global Framework for Climate Services: http://www.wmo.int/pages/gfcs/documents/1065_HLT_report_en.pdf
6. Global Framework for Climate Services Website: http://www.wmo.int/pages/gfcs/index_en.php.
EC WG/SOP-II(2013)/Doc. 3.2(1) p.4
DISCUSSION
1. Through Resolution 47, the Sixteenth Session of the WMO Congress entrusted the WMO Executive Council (EC) with the responsibility of developing, with the involvement of relevant stakeholders including other United Nations bodies, the draft Implementation Plan and the Draft Terms of Reference and Rules of Procedure for the Intergovernmental Board of the GFCS and its substructures based on the implementation plan, for the consideration of an Extraordinary Session of the World Meteorological Congress.
2. The Executive Council, through its Task Team on the Global Framework for Climate Services (ECTT-GFCS) developed the draft Implementation Plan, the draft Terms of Reference and Rules of Procedure for the Intergovernmental Board of the GFCS which were submitted to the consideration of the Extraordinary Session of the World Meteorological Congress, held in Geneva, from 29 to 31 October 2012.
3. Prior to the Extraordinary Session of the World Meteorological Congress, a dialogue for climate services users and providers was held from 26 to 27 October 2012. The dialogue provided the status of capabilities in climate prediction, and offered a platform for sharing of experiences and lessons on the production and application of climate services worldwide (details about the dialogue are available at http://www.wmo.int/pages/gfcs/office/Dialogue.php). A publication, “Climate Exchange” containing case studies on experiences from around the world on the development and application of climate services in various socio-economic sectors was launched at the dialogue (the publication is available at: http://www.wmo.int/pages/gfcs/tudor-rose/index.html)
4. The Extraordinary Session of the World Meteorological Congress was held successfully (from 29 – 31 October) with the following outcomes:
(i) adoption of the draft Implementation Plan of the GFCS;
(ii) establishment of the Intergovernmental Board on Climate Services as an additional body accountable to Congress under Article 8 (h) of the Convention of the WMO and the approval of its Terms of Reference and Rules of Procedure;
(iii) decision to consider GFCS financial considerations in Secretary-General’s budget proposals for the biennium 2014-2015 and the budget proposal for the seventeenth financial period to be considered by the Seventeenth World Meteorological Congress in 2015.
5. The Intergovernmental Board on Climate Services is scheduled to meet in the first week of July 2013. Among other considerations, the Board will:
(i) establish its subsidiary bodies;
(ii) agree on a stakeholder engagement mechanism;
(iii) decide on the implementation of priority activities as set out in the implementation Plan and the Compendium of GFCS related projects;
(iv) agree on a voluntary reporting mechanism for projects and activities carried out through unilateral, bilateral and other efforts to be recognized as contributing to the GFCS.
6. During the Extraordinary Session of the World Meteorological Congress an Atlas of Health and Climate was launched as a result of specific collaboration of WMO with the World Health Organization (WHO) to advance early implementation of the GFCS in the health sector (Atlas available at http://www.wmo.int/ebooks/WHO/Atlas_EN_web.pdf). The Atlas is a visually compelling advocacy tool to raise awareness amongst senior policy-makers that provides solid scientific information on the connections between weather and climate and major heath challenges.
7. As part of early implementation of the GFCS, pilot projects were conducted in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to identify critical elements to be considered when establishing frameworks for climate services at national level. Based on the lessons learned, a step-by-step guidebook to conduct national workshops for the establishment of frameworks for climate services at national level was developed. This guidebook complements the technical Guidelines on frameworks for climate services at the national level developed to support the operational aspects of the GFCS. These guidelines are being used to support Members in their efforts to initiate implementation of the GFCS.
8. To ensure effective forms of cooperation between organizations of the United Nation System engaged in the GFCS, particularly in the planning and implementation of the initiative across the UN partner organizations, the Secretary-General established and Inter-Agency Coordination Group involving the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN-ISDR), World Bank, World Food Programme (WFP), and World Health Organization (WHO). The establishment of this committee is an effort to broaden the base of the GFCS so that all UN partner organizations can better fulfill their functions in relation to the GFCS according to their respective mandates within the UN system.
WMO Data Policy for GFCS
9. EC-64 adopted Resolution 4 which established the Task Team on WMO Policy for International Exchange of Climate Data and Products to Support Implementation of the GFCS. The Task Team should report to EC-65.
10. WMO through the Commission for Climatology (CCl) has commenced work by identifying climate data in the WMO domain. In addition, the Chair of the Task Team has issued a questionnaire to its members soliciting their views on the Terms of Reference approved by Resolution 4 of EC-64. The Task Team is scheduled to meet in early 2013.
Resources mobilization
11. Efforts were continued by the WMO Secretariat to mobilize more resources to support the GFCS. Strategic partnerships are being pursued with major funding mechanisms with a view to include GFCS related activities as part of eligible activities under these mechanisms. Thus far contributions have been made by Hong Kong, China (5000 CHF); India (125 000 USD); Norway (10 million USD) and Switzerland (500 000 CHF), contributions were made by Canada (1 000 000 $CND), China (100 000 CHF), Ireland (400 000 Euro), UK (300 000 £) and the Republic of Korea (264 137.36 USD). During the Extraordinary Session of the World Meteorological Congress Switzerland pledged additional contributions of 100000 CHF per year from 2013 to 2015. .
Advocacy and outreach
12. To improve understanding of the need and benefits of the GFCS, information materials for use by Members and stakeholders at large are being produced and posted on the GFCS website (http://www.wmo.int/pages/gfcs/flyers.php). These materials provide clarification on how the GFCS will be implemented and the role of the various stakeholders.
13. Side events were and are being organized at major events and international conferences. Examples are the World Water Forum 6 (Marseille, March 2012), SBSTA 36 (Bonn, April 2012), Rio +20 (June 2012), World Water Weak (Stockholm, August 2012), Cop 18 (Doha, December 2012), among others (information on GFCS related events available at http://www.wmo.int/pages/gfcs/calendar_en.php).
Issues for the Consideration of the Working Group
14. The working group is invited to note the report.