CE meets Secretary-General of World Meteorological Organization (with photo)
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The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, met the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Professor Celeste Saulo, today (March 28). Also attending the meeting were the Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment), Miss Janice Tse, and the Director of the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), Dr Chan Pak-wai.
Mr Lee congratulated Professor Saulo on her assumption of office as the first female Secretary-General of the WMO in January this year. He welcomed Professor Saulo’s first visit to Hong Kong, noting that she will attend a signing ceremony for an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the HKO and the WMO.
Mr Lee pointed out that with the intensifying change in global climate, extreme weather conditions have become more frequent, and there are practical needs to strengthen early-warning capabilities around the world to more effectively protect people’s lives and properties. The HKO and the WMO first signed an MOU in 2018 in supporting global weather information services. The signing of the updated MOU will further enhance the co-operation between the two sides and contribute to the implementation of the Early Warnings for All initiative of the United Nations.
He said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been maintaining close professional exchanges with the WMO to broaden the international horizons and enrich the professional development of HKO officers. He added that the HKO will continue to support the WMO’s initiatives, including the WMO Voluntary Cooperation Programme, whereby the HKO will set up the Meteorological Training Centre for Belt and Road Countries this year to provide training for meteorological personnel from the Belt and Road regions, and foster regional and international co-operation on meteorology.