First Arab Regional Forum on Early Warning Systems and Disaster Preparedness "Together for Better Coordination and Effective Response"

The First Arab Regional Forum on Early Warning Systems, Disaster Preparedness, and Response serves as a regional platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and partnership, aimed at strengthening regional cooperation among countries and relevant international and regional organizations to enhance resilience and protect lives through the development of effective early warning and disaster preparedness mechanisms.

It is held under the patronage of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (LAS), and jointly organized by LAS and the regional offices of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the Arab Organization for Red Cross and Red Crescent (ARCO), in collaboration with other regional and international partners.

This event brings together ICT ministries and regulators, disaster management agencies, meteorological and environmental authorities, policymakers, private sector leaders, and international organizations engaged in early warning, disaster risk reduction, and emergency telecommunications, including Sendai Framework focal points and representatives from ministries of interior and defense.

The Forum aims to develop a Joint Arab Roadmap anchored around the following key pillars:

• ​Strengthening risk knowledge and emergency telecommunications and EWS capacities, fostering inter-agency coordination, and aligning national and regional priorities under the EW4All initiative.
• Enhancing the effectiveness and inclusivity of early warning systems in addressing increasingly complex and cascading risks.
• ​Promoting preparedness and resilience across Arab societies to protect lives, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure.

Opening (high-level)

The Forum will open with remarks by H.E. Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States; Mr. Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR); and Dr. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), followed by Member States' remarks.

Key objectives

• Review the state of early warning systems in the Arab region and identify priorities for strengthening readiness and future development.
• Advance disaster preparedness by sharing best practices, identifying gaps, and promoting more efficient and resilient response systems.
• Promote enabling conditions for effective early warning, including emergency telecommunications, technology, sustainable financing, regional cooperation, and the role of media in awareness and early action.

Programme highlights (summary)

Day 1 - Setting the Scene and Regional Priorities (Grand Hall, Ground Floor)

• High-level Panel 1: Early Warning Systems in the Arab Region (Reality and Future) (11:00-12:00)
• High-level Panel 2: Disaster Preparedness (12:00-13:00)
• Session 1: Effectiveness of Early Warning Systems (incl. governance, finance, community engagement and CAP) (14:00-15:00)
• Session 2: Integrated Approaches for Risk Reduction and Climate Action (15:00-16:00)
• Session 3: Best Practices from the Arab Region (16:00-17:00)

Day 2 - Technology, Cooperation, and the Way Forward (Theatre Hall, Iraqi Building)

• Session 4: From Early Warning to Early Response (9:30-10:30)
• Session 5: Enablers for strengthening early warning systems (technology, financing, cooperation, media) (11:00-12:00)
• Open Forum: Civil Society Voices and Partners (12:00-13:00)
• Session 6: Innovation and Community Readiness (14:00-15:00)
• Closing session and presentation of Forum outcomes (15:00-15:30)

Audience

Government representatives (including DRR and sectoral stakeholders), regional organizations, UN agencies, civil society, academia, private sector, and technical partners working on early warning, preparedness, risk reduction, and anticipatory action.