PORTUGAL ON WMO QUADRENNIAL CONGRESS

UNCLAS LISBON 001199 SIPDIS SIPDIS IO/T (GUINNEVERE ROBERTS) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV TPHY WMO PO SUBJECT: PORTUGAL ON WMO QUADRENNIAL CONGRESS REF: SECSTATE 47359 ¶1. PolEconOff delivered reftel talking points to Aderito Serrao, President of the Meteorology Institute, who plans to attend the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Quadrennial Congress from May 7-25. Serrao noted the need for further discussion on climate change in international bodies such as the WMO, but he considered the Disaster and Prevention Program a higher priority than hosting a world climate conference. Other priorities for Portugal include the budget and organizational governance. ¶2. While Portugal does not intend to sit on the Executive Council (EC),Serrao underscored the importance for member states to have "real time" access to Executive Council documents that are currently only available to EC members. Serrao also stressed the need for Portuguese translation of documents, especially for lusophone African countries, and noted his intention to raise this issue again during the Congress. Hoffman