Bureau Meeting of the Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET) held on 26 January 2021

Friday, January 29, 2021 - 13:10

The Bureau members met to approve and adopt the revised AMCOMET Strategy following the Ministerial request at the Fourth Session of AMCOMET (4) held in Cairo, Egypt from 18-21 February, 2019 to the AMCOMET Secretariat and the African Union Commission (AUC). The revision was to incorporate emerging issues such as gender, research and development and private sector engagement. 

The Strategy has now been revised and updated. It has also undergone validation by all the five Regional Economic Communities (RECS) and their respective Member States. What was left was for the Strategy to be considered and endorsed by the AMCOMET Bureau, the AMCOMET Ministers and relevant AU organs including the African Union's Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (STC-ARDWE). It is planned that the Strategy will be submitted to the AU Heads of State and Government in 2022 for adoption.

At the end of the meeting the Bureau came up with the following recommendations:

  • Note with satisfaction the progress made in implementing the Abidjan and Cairo Declarations.
  •  Commend the AUC on efforts taken in mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on the meteorology sector.
  • Welcome the Special Session of Ministers of Environment and Natural Resources on COVID-19 and its Impacts which was held under the auspices of the STC-ARDWE
  • Commit to implement the meteorology-related decisions contained in the Ministerial Declaration of the Special Session of Ministers.
  • Endorse the revised Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology (Weather and Climate Services)
  • Endorse the AMCOMET Report
  • Request the AMCOMET Secretariat to continue with efforts for mobilising resources under the AfDB AMCOMET Facility
  • Set 16-17 March 2021 as the dates for the Fifth Session of AMCOMET which will be held virtually
  •  Request the AUC in collaboration with the AMCOMET Chair and the AMCOMET Secretariat to finalise the agenda for the fifth Session of AMCOMET