The African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET) Meeting, presided over by the AMCOMET Bureau Chair, H. E. Dr. Emanuel Antero Veiga, Minister of Environment, Housing and Land Management, Republic of Cabo Verde, held on 26 May 2015, in Geneva, Switzerland, progressed further with the nomination of members to the various Task Forces (TFs).

These Task Forces include one on Specialized Technical Committee (STC) of the African Union (AU) to align Meteorology (Weather and Climate services) within the new structure adopted by the AU. Other TFs were for the Quality Management System (QMS), Cost Recovery and Competency Assessment on meteorological services for the aviation industry; and the Climate Research for Development (CR4D). The purpose of the Task Forces is to investigate the various issues as they affect the region.

It will be recalled that in April 2010, the First Conference of Ministers Responsible for Meteorology in Africa, through the Nairobi Declaration, established the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET) as a high-level mechanism for the development of meteorology and its applications in Africa.

The vision of AMCOMET is to have a framework for cooperation in the areas of security, socio-economic development and poverty eradication on a pan-African level through sound governance and the application of the science of meteorology and its related applications on the continent.

His Excellency, Dr Antero Veiga, stressed that, “since the inception of AMCOMET, the whole continent has been able to work in close collaboration in the areas of weather and climate, since sensitive to weather and climate are cross-cutting and operational meteorology is not restricted by political boundaries”. No country he stated, “can say they are doing reasonable weather forecasts without the cooperation of neighbouring countries, especially in data observation and data exchange required in forecasting”. This cooperation within the Member countries, and the need for a concerted effort to adapt to vagaries of climate change, according to the Minister, allows harmonious partnership to build resilience on the continent and, “together we are stronger and can go much further as a team in our effort to develop our continent”, he added.

The outcome of the deliberation will form part of the agenda for the First Specialized Technical Committee (STC) meeting on Agriculture, Rural Economy, Water Resources and Environment, scheduled for October 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

For more information:
/sessions/bureau-task-force-reports
/sites/default/files/field/doc/events/_side_event_cg-17.pdf

AMCOMET Secretariat:
World Meteorological Organization
7 bis, avenue de la Paix – P.O. Box 2300
CH 1211 Geneva 2 – Switzerland
Tel.:  +41 (0) 22 730 8513
Fax:  +41 (0) 22 730 8053
Email: amcomet[at]wmo.in

Kosmos Akande-Alasoka
Public Information Officer
Communications and Public Affairs
World Meteorological Organization
7 bis, avenue de la Paix
P.O. Box 2300
CH-1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Office Tel. +41 (0) 22 730 8097
Email: kakande-alasoka@wmo.int