First Arab Regional Forum on Early Warning Systems and Disaster Preparedness
Together for Enhanced Coordination and Effective Response
17–18 December 2025
League of Arab States Headquarters, Cairo, Egypt
The 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.
The 1st Arab Regional EWS Forum held under the patronage of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States (LAS), the event is 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.
The 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 is organized pursuant to the decision of the 55th Session of the Supreme Committee for Joint Arab Action Coordination under the Council of Arab Ministers of Communications and Information Technology, which called for the convening of a regional forum on early warning systems under the auspices of the League of Arab States. It also contributes to the implementation of the United Nations Secretary-General’s “Early Warnings for All” (EW4All) Initiative, strengthening Arab cooperation in disaster risk reduction and resilience building.
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.