First Global Forum Unites Stakeholders for Early Warnings for All by 2027

The first-ever Global Early Warnings for All (EW4ALL) Multi-Stakeholder Forum convened with urgency and determination to accelerate the global ambition of ensuring that everyone, everywhere is protected by timely, effective, and life-saving early warning systems by 2027. Co-led by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the forum brought together diverse voices and sectors to spotlight gaps, showcase solutions, and drive collective action toward the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction Target G—the target focused on substantially increasing access to early warning systems.

Urgency Amid Escalating Hazards

Held ahead of the 2025 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, the forum coincided with Heat Action Day, underlining the rising threat of extreme heat—often described as a “silent killer.” This year also witnessed powerful reminders of nature’s force, such as the collapse of a glacier in Blatten, Switzerland on 28 May, which leveled part of the village but claimed no lives thanks to early warning and coordinated response efforts. Such examples fuel the Forum's central message: early warnings are humanity's first line of defense against disasters.

Selwin Hart, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition, opened the Forum with a call to action:

“An effective early warning system is the most basic tool for saving lives. Achieving Early Warnings for All by 2027 is ambitious—but it is achievable.”

Inclusion at the Core of the Forum

Participants included representatives from national meteorological and hydrological services (NMHSs), disaster risk authorities, government ministries, civil society, youth, Indigenous communities, the private sector, and persons with disabilities. Their unified goal: to close existing gaps, especially in developing and conflict-affected countries where coverage remains limited.

WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo underscored the forum’s human focus:

“Our work is technical, but our purpose is human. No warning—however early—is effective unless it reaches the right people at the right time. That is why we are here: to cement partnerships and build trust essential to early action.”

Thematic Sessions Drive Action

The Forum’s structure revolved around six action-oriented thematic sessions:

1. People-centered, user-tailored early warnings

2. Multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) in fragile and conflict settings

3. Effective governance for MHEWS

4. Advancing MHEWS through science, technology, and local knowledge

5. Accelerating EW4ALL through partnerships at all levels

6. Sustaining and scaling investments in MHEWS

These discussions built on five preceding regional forums, all of which acknowledged progress yet called for faster, more coordinated implementation.

Concrete Progress and Global Reach

Kamal Kishore, Head of UNDRR and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, highlighted that 108 countries now report having multi-hazard early warning systems.

“These are not just numbers. The difference is being felt on the ground. But for the Sendai Framework, this is our Now or Never moment,” he said.

The Sendai Framework 2015–2030 provides the backbone for global disaster risk reduction efforts, with Target G focusing on substantial improvements in early warning coverage, communication, and preparedness.

WMO's Scientific Contribution and Global Initiatives

WMO showcased several concrete advancements made in support of EW4ALL:

• Expanded real-time data sharing through the WMO Information System, training 90 countries in the last two years.

• Improved tropical cyclone forecasting via updated products from WMO’s regional specialized centers.

• Enhanced guidance on heat indicators, supported by meteorological centers in India, Kenya, Singapore, and South Africa.

• Standardization of early warning services, helping build public trust in NMHSs.

Moreover, with backing from NORCAP and the Climate Risk and Early Warning System (CREWS) Initiative, WMO has supported digital upgrades for African meteorological services. As a result, 1,000 new observation stations from Africa joined the Global Basic Observing Network, and countries increased warning issuance by over 2,500%.

Key Principles for Early Warning Impact

In her closing remarks, Saulo stressed five guiding principles for scaling EW4ALL:

1. Science must connect to people

2. Systems must be inclusive and accessible

3. Partnerships must span sectors and disciplines

4. Benefits must be equitable and universal

5. Collaboration must extend beyond meteorology—to mayors, farmers, engineers, teachers, and indigenous leaders

Financing Resilience: A Central Challenge

Released ahead of the forum, the UNDRR Global Assessment Report 2025, titled “Resilience Pays: Financing and Investing for our Future,” addresses a key concern: unlocking smarter investments to break the destructive loop of disasters, debt, and humanitarian crises in a warming world.

This report argues that robust financial mechanisms must support climate adaptation and disaster preparedness, and that governments, financial institutions, and insurers must shift focus from reaction to prevention.

A Forum That Sets the Tone for Global Resilience

The Global Early Warnings for All Multi-Stakeholder Forum is more than a technical event; it is a political and moral commitment to collective survival and equity. As the climate crisis intensifies, the forum sends a clear message: the time to act is now, and no one must be left behind.

With its outcomes feeding directly into the 2025 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, themed “Every Day Counts: Act for Resilience Today,” this inaugural forum lays the groundwork for scaling up early warnings as a global public good.