World Meteorological Organization, United Nations
Data Center Description
http://www.wmo.ch/
The World Meteorological Convention, by which the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) was created, was adopted at the Twelfth Conference
of Directors of the International Meteorological Organization (IMO),
which met in Washington in 1947. Although the Convention itself came
into force in 1950, WMO commenced operations as the successor to IMO
in 1951 and, later that year, was established as a specialized agency
of the United Nations by agreement between the UN and WMO. The
purposes of WMO are to facilitate international cooperation in the
establishment of networks of stations for making meteorological,
hydrological and other observations; and to promote the rapid exchange
of meteorological information, the standardization of meteorological
observations and the uniform publication of observations and
statistics. It also furthers the application of meteorology to
aviation, shipping, water problems, agriculture and other human
activities, promotes operational hydrology and encourages research and
training in meteorology.
As of June 1996, there were 185 Members, comprising 179 Member States
and six Member Territories, all of which maintain their own
Meteorological and Hydrological Services.
Major WMO Programs include:
- World Weather Watch (http://www.wmo.ch/web/www/www.html)
- World Climate Programme (http://www.wmo.ch/web/wcp/wcp-home.html)
- Applications of Meteorology Programme (http://www.wmo.ch/web/aom/aom.html)
- World Climate Research Programme
(http://www.wmo.ch/web/wcrp/wcrp-home.html)
- Global Climate Observing System (http://www.wmo.ch/web/gcos/gcoshome.html)
- Atmospheric Research and Environment Programme
(http://www.wmo.ch/web/arep/arep-home.html)
- Hydrology and Water Resources Programme
(http://www.wmo.ch/web/homs/hwrphome.html)
- Education and Training Programme (http://www.wmo.ch/web/etr/etrp98.html)
For more information:
WMO
7 bis Avenue de la Paix
CP-2300 - 1211 Geneva 2 - Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 730 8111
Fax +41 22 730 8181
Tlx: 414199A OMM CH
E-mail: ipa@www.wmo.ch
