Macao elected to host UNESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee Secretariat

Macao will be host of the Secretariat of the UNESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee, the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau announced today. The Director of the Bureau, Mr Fong Soi Kun, said that Macao was elected to host the Secretariat in the 38th annual session of the Typhoon Committee, which was jointly established by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Mr Fong said an advisory group from the organisation was in Macao last month to assess its standard in meteorological technology, economy, telecommunication and transportation. Winning the bid confirmed Macao’s achievements in these areas, he said. He said that Macao would set up the Secretariat within 12 months. The Secretariat would be responsible for advising members of the Typhoon Committee, namely 14 countries or regions, on the technical and administrative co-ordination of plans for the implementation of improved meteorological, hydrological, disaster prevention and preparedness, plus other facilities needed in the mitigation of typhoon damage. Macao became a member of the Typhoon Committee in 1992.