2023 Induction Workshop for Permanent Representatives
The 2023 Induction Workshop, held at WMO headquarters from 20 to 22 November, attracted 18 PRs who gained a profound understanding of the intricacies of the Organization.
New directors of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) take on huge responsibilities to coordinate monitoring, delivery and use of timely, high-quality, authoritative weather, climate, hydrological and related environmental services that meet national, business and individual requirements. In addition, these new directors, as designated Permanent Representatives (PR) to the WMO, play a pivotal role in the international coordination and exchange required for the delivery of those services. So far in 2023, 41 new PRs have been appointed to the WMO – 21% of the 193 WMO Members. To sensitize them to the importance of their role as PR, WMO organizes annual onboarding workshops to improve their understanding of ongoing and forthcoming WMO initiatives as well as foster a spirit of cooperation. The 2023 Induction Workshop, held at WMO headquarters from 20 to 22 November, attracted 18 PRs who gained a profound understanding of the intricacies of the Organization.
WMO Secretary-General Professor Petteri Taalas inaugurated the Induction Workshop, providing an overview of the Organization’s strategic initiatives and highlighting WMO activities at the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Dubai. WMO Deputy Secretary-General Dr. Elena Manaenkova highlighting the WMO mandate, offering comprehensive insights into WMO governance and the strategic plan, demonstrating the integral role of the PRs in the WMO framework.
WMO directors and staff provided a holistic picture of WMO activities and initiatives, including: the United Nations Early Warnings for All initiative, Global Greenhouse Gas Watch (G3W), Systematic Observations Financing Facility (SOFF), Climate Risk & Early Warning Systems (CREWS), Voluntary Cooperation Programme (VCP), Socio-Economic Benefit (SEB) studies, Public Private Engagement (PPE) and Education and Training.
There was increased emphasis on interaction between the PRs, including opportunities to introduce their NMHSs and challenges they face, throughout this year’s Workshop. The heightened the engagement of the PRs significantly enriched the exchange of ideas and facilitated the sharing of experiences. Dynamic discussions gave rise to promising opportunities for collaboration, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the Workshop.
Several noteworthy side activities took place:
- Bilateral meetings with the Secretary-General provided a platform for focused discussions
- Three PRs participated in a meeting on the CREWS East Africa project that fostered targeted collaboration
- A Country Profile Database/WMO Community Platform (CPDB) side-event aimed to enhance data accuracy, contributing to the overall reliability of Member information within the organization.
Though only half of the PRs had attended the World Meteorological Congress in June, their feedback emphasized the invaluable nature of close communication with the Secretariat at all levels. They noted that direct interaction at the Workshop had provided a newfound understanding of the intricacies of international coordination at WMO and facilitated cooperative efforts among stakeholders.
The next Induction workshop for PR is planned for the second half of 2024.