Seventeenth World Meteorological Congress : Abridged final report with resolutions

The President, Mr David Grimes, opened the seventeenth session of the World Meteorological Congress at 10.00 on 25 May 2015 at the International Conference Centre of Geneva (CICG) and welcomed all participants to the Congress. The list of participants is given in the appendix to the present report. In reflecting on the last four years, the President noted the growing relevance of the societal needs and priorities identified in the Organization’s planning. The President noted that the draft Strategic and Operating Plans for the 2016–2019 period reflected the needs of Members and in their final form must speak not only to governments and heads of NMHS, but also to WMO partners. With respect to setting future priorities, a number of driving factors could be identified, including seeking to align climate and disaster risk reduction-related activities, with the corresponding international climate change negotiations and the new disaster risk framework. He further underscored the essential role of Partnerships for executing the work of the Organization, including with scientific institutions, centres of excellence and the private sector, among principal actors. The President stressed that Members need to be prepared with a clear vision on the Organization’s governance structure and proceed with efforts for continuous improvements of processes and procedures. He paid tribute to the Secretary-General and his contribution to the Organization, noting he had served 20 years within the Organization in a senior capacity.