September 2008: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Secretariat submitted, at the second meeting of the International Conference
Organizing Committee on 3-5 September 2008, in Geneva, Switzerland, the draft
notes for a ministerial statement to be adopted at the World Climate
Conference-3.

In this document, the WMO Secretariat highlights that the risks
associated with climate variability and change pose a major threat to society
and environment of an unknown magnitude, and could jeopardize the social and
economic development, especially of vulnerable communities and countries. The
Secretariat then identifies the need to advance climate prediction and
information services and, particularly, to initiate a process that would
facilitate improvements.
The WMO Secretariat also calls for urgently mobilizing
adequate resources to enable the developing and least developed countries to
improve human resources and infrastructures required for the provision and
application of climate prediction and information services. It notes that
consideration should be made for funding facilities to support activities aimed
at improving data gathering, developing human resources, enhancing
multi-sectoral research to develop sector-targeted climate products,
integrating climate information into national policies and enhancing the
abilities of the rural communities to use climate information.
In addition, the
draft notes contain a list of actions to reduce the risks associated with
climate variability and change, which are broadly defined as: improving the
provision, accuracy and relevance of climate predictions and early warnings on
all times scales; improving the ability of governments, societies and
institutions to access, interpret and apply climate prediction and information
services together with early warnings for the benefit of society; and improving
systems to support responses to climate predictions and early warnings. The
World Climate Conference-3, including its High-level segment, will take place
from 31 August-4 September 2009, in Geneva, Switzerland. [WMO
draft notes for ministerial statement] [World
Climate Conference-3]