Second Meeting of the IBCS (IBCS-2)

The Second Session of the Intergovernmental Board on Climate Services (IBCS-2) was held from 10 to 13 November in Geneva to review progress and provide guidance to enhance implementation of the GFCS. The meeting highlighted the need for more partnerships and coordination among various actors to achieve the overall goals of helping communities to adapt to extreme climate events to boost disaster resilience.

NOTE: IBCS-2 Documents are available here: http://ibcs-2.wmo.int

Following the decisions taken at the extraordinary session of the World Meteorological Congress (Cg-Ext.2012) and the First Session of the Intergovernmental Board on Climate Services (IBCS-1), the Second Session:

• Approved the revised terms of reference of the Partner Advisory Committee (hereunder referred as the “PAC”) of the IBCS, which specify functions, responsibilities, membership, mode of operation and financing of the PAC;
• Agreed on the means through which GFCS Partners and Stakeholders with technical capability can play a role in the implementation of GFCS, specifically through participation in technical committees established for specific questions as might be required, as per practice of WMO Technical Commissions;
• Agreed on the interaction between the IBCS and the constituent bodies of WMO;
• Approved revised Committee, to strengthen the interface and linkages with the PAC;
• Agreed that urban activities related to climate be included as a specific cross-cutting element within the priority areas of the GFCS;
• Agreed on the further development of the Energy exemplar and on presenting a proposal to the Seventeenth World Meteorological Congress for consideration of Energy as an additional priority sector for GFCS;
• Agreed on the creation of an ad-hoc Task Force or Working Group on Monitoring and Evaluation;
• Considered GFCS budget for 2015 and the Operational and Resource plan for 2016-2018 and recognized the need for providing resources to support implementation of project and activities, the governance structure of the GFCS and the GFCS Office;
• Requested the IBCS Committee to incorporate gender-related recommendations into the GFCS;
• Elected the Chair, two Co-Vice-Chairs and kept the membership and composition of the Management Committee of the Board as approved by IBCS-1;
• Agreed to have ordinary plenary meetings of the IBCS only once in the intersessional period prior to WMO Congress sessions and for the Management Committee to meet once a year to provide advice, oversight and management of implementation of the GFCS in the intersessional period.