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On the morning of July 30, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long met with Professor Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The meeting is within the framework of accompanying Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man to attend the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament and conduct bilateral activities with Switzerland in Geneva.

In his remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long highly appreciated the important role and practical contribution of WMO in promoting global cooperation in hydrometeorology, improving early warning capacity, and mitigating natural disaster risks, as climate change is having an increasingly profound impact on countries and people's lives.

He affirmed that Vietnam continues to be an active and responsible member in the implementation of global strategic and policy initiatives initiated by WMO. The country is located downstream of 2 major rivers, so it is at high risk of climate change. He proposed that WMO support Vietnam in upgrading hydrometeorological technical infrastructure, especially in vulnerable areas, through advocacy and connecting resources from global climate finance funds. Other suggestions include opening regional training centers in Vietnam, strengthening information sharing, training, and in-depth fostering for hydrometeorological staff. WMO can also support by sending international experts to provide on-the-spot technical support in key areas such as forecasting storms, flash floods, landslides, and the impacts of climate change. Both sides should continue connecting data, sharing information with regional and global centers.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo expressed her impression of the outstanding achievements of Vietnam's hydrometeorological industry and Vietnam's active participation in the WMO in Southeast Asia, especially in the initiative in the 2021-2023 period. The WMO leader affirmed that WMO will continue to support Vietnam in undertaking the operation of the Southeast Asia Regional Center for Flash Flood Warning and the Southeast Asia Regional Center for Dangerous Weather Forecasting, contributing to improving the capacity of early warning and natural disaster response for the whole region.

WMO is ready to support Vietnam to participate more deeply in global initiatives coordinated by WMO, such as the Global Monitoring System, Global Climate Information System, Multi-Disaster Monitoring Framework, and Climate Change at the regional level, said WMO Secretary-General Celeste. She mentioned capacity building projects, long-term training courses on high-quality human resources, and meteorological and hydrological services. There are currently 2 WMO special meteorological centers in Vietnam to help the country strengthen forecasting capacity and scholar exchanges.

The two sides agreed to promote the transfer of advanced technologies in the field of weather, climate, flash floods, and landslide forecasting, and support developing countries to access and use modern monitoring equipment for more accurate monitoring and forecasting in the context of increasingly complex natural disasters.

They also discussed the development and completion of the National Climate Service Framework in Vietnam. The frameworks will provide effective, highly applicable information for climate-sensitive fields and develop specialized hydrometeorological products and services for agricultural production, irrigation, aviation, tourism, and natural disaster prevention.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long (left) and Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Amy Pope (Photo: VNA).

Another highlight of the business trip is the meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long and Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Amy Pope.

The two sides reviewed a number of outstanding cooperation activities between Vietnam and IOM in recent years, such as coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam to organize a conference to review the implementation of the GCM Agreement annually and implement capacity building projects and support the implementation of the GCM Agreement Implementation Plan 2023-2025, and support the establishment and maintenance of the Migration Information Office (MRC) to provide information on safe migration to potential migrant workers.

IOM Director General Amy Pope stressed that the two sides have a lot of potential to strengthen cooperation in both international mechanisms, especially in the field of migrant labor, linking the resolution of migration challenges with the implementation of development goals, and strengthening resilience to climate change.

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