Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) National Consultation Workshop

[Check against Delivery]

• H.E Hang Samouen, Second Vice-President of National Committee for Disaster Management (NCDM),
• [Participation TBC] H.E Sin Vuthy, Secretary of state of Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MOWRAM),

Excellencies representatives from government institutions, Development partners, Representatives from the private sector, Red Cross Society and NGOs, Colleagues from the UN, Distinguished participants.

[Welcoming, introduction and thank you]

Good morning. On behalf of the United Nations in Cambodia, I am pleased to welcome you to the Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) National Consultation Workshop.

Today’s workshop comes after several months of preparations. I wish to especially thank the National Committee for Disaster Management in its capactiy as the national focal agency for EW4ALL as appointed by the Royal Government of Cambodia. My appreciation also goes to the World Food Programme as the UN focal point and technical lead for EW4ALL in Cambodia. Thank you for bringing us all together today.

At the global level, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), together with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), are leading the EW4ALL initiative. A special welcome to our colleagues from these agencies who have travelled to Phnom Penh to co-facilitate this important workshop today.

I also want to express my appreciation to all the line ministries, UN agencies, NGOs, development partners, and private sector representatives present here today. Your participation highlights our collective commitment to addressing the critical issue of early warning systems in Cambodia and brings momentum as we collectively take forward the work in safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of Cambodian people from the impacts of climate change and other risks.

Today’s workshop will allow us to discuss and strategize on how we can enhance inclusive, multi-stakeholder and "people-centered" early warning systems in Cambodia.

[EW4All background]

The EW4ALL initiative was launched last November at COP27 by the UN Secretary-General (SG) who unveiled the details of his plan to ensure everyone on the planet is protected by early warning systems within the next five years. In March this year, he convened an Advisory Panel consisting of leaders from UN agencies, multilateral development partners, humanitarian organizations, civil society, insurance, and IT companies. The first cohort of the EW4ALL initiative covers 30 at-risk countries, including Cambodia.

EW4ALL will support the Royal Government of Cambodia (RCG) in improving early warning systems and enhancing resilience. The initiative seeks to address gaps across the four key pillars of early warning systems: understanding disaster risk; monitoring and forecasting; communication; and preparedness and response capacity. It will promote collaboration and synergies to harness the comparative advantage of stakeholders, building upon existing programmes and initiatives in the country.

A general principle agreed by the EW4All leads is to leverage established and proven funding and programming approaches. For instance, for WMO and UNDRR, this means expanding existing initiatives such as the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems Initiative (CREWS). I would like to take this opportunity to thank all CREWS partners for sponsoring this event.

[EE4All in Cambodia]

As we are all aware, Cambodia is prone to various climate-induced hazards, such as floods, drought or storms. These hazards pose significant risks to communities, agriculture, infrastructure, the economy, and overall development of the country. Early warning systems are proven to be a powerful and effective tool that can contribute to mitigating the impact of climate-induced disasters and, as a result, building a more resilient nation.

This workshop serves as a fundamental platform for gaining collective understanding of the EW4ALL initiative and its significance for Cambodia. Through collaborative discussions and knowledge sharing, we aim to reflect on the current state of Early Warning Systems in Cambodia and start identifying key challenges, opportunities and long-term priority technical areas, all of which will be eventually outlined in the 4-year country implementation roadmap (2024-27). By looking at existing disaster risk reduction structures in Cambodia, we also look to agree on the most appropriate national coordination mechanism for this initiative under the overall leadership of the Royal Government of Cambodia.

Building on current or forthcoming investments in early warning systems in Cambodia, the UN system and its partners are seeking to boost political momentum and collectively achieve EW4All 2027. This includes, for example, CREWS further strengthening its initiatives in Cambodia, including with strengthening its local capacity to coordinate the current CREWS project as well as EW4ALL implementation. I am also delighted that the CREWS contributing / steering committee members have decided to host the 18th Meeting of the CREWS Steering Committee in Phnom Penh in January 2024.

EW4All will play a crucial role in accelerating investment to address the vulnerability of Cambodia to climate change by improving early warning systems and enhancing resilience.

I wish you all productive discussions and may the outcomes of our efforts today pave the way for a stronger, more inclusive, and strengthened early warning system in Cambodia.

Thank you.