World Meteorological Organization

"WMO" redirects here. For other uses, see WMO (disambiguation).
World Meteorological Organization
AbbreviationWMO
Formation23 March 1950; 74 years ago (1950-03-23)
TypeUnited Nations specialized agency
Legal statusActive
HeadquartersGeneva, Switzerland
Head
President
Abdulla Al Mandous, UAE
(since 2023)[1]
Secretary-General
Celeste Saulo, Argentina
since 2024
Parent organization
United Nations Economic and Social Council
Websitewmo.int
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The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics.[2]

The WMO originated from the International Meteorological Organization, a nongovernmental organization founded in 1873 as a forum for exchanging weather data and research.[3] Proposals to reform the status and structure of the IMO culminated in the World Meteorological Convention of 1947, which formally established the World Meteorological Organization.[4] The Convention entered into force on 23 March 1950, and the following year the WMO began operations as an intergovernmental organization within the UN system.

The WMO is made up of 193 countries and territories, and facilitates the "free and unrestricted" exchange of data, information, and research between the respective meteorological and hydrological institutions of its members.[5][6] It also collaborates with nongovernmental partners and other international organizations on matters related to environmental protection, climate change, resource management, and socioeconomic development.[7]

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the WMO is governed by the World Meteorological Congress, composed of member states, which meets every four years to set policies and priorities. The Congress is led by an Executive Council led by the President, currently Abdulla Al Mandous of UAE.[8]

  1. ^ "Executive Council opens with new office holders". public.wmo.int. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  2. ^ "History of WMO". World Meteorological Organization. 2 February 2016. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  3. ^ "Who we are". World Meteorological Organization. 2 December 2015. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Basic Documents". library.wmo.int. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  5. ^ "Who we are". World Meteorological Organization. 2 December 2015. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  6. ^ "The WMO Building / Conference Centre". public.wmo.int. 12 January 2016. Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  7. ^ "What we do". World Meteorological Organization. 20 January 2016. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  8. ^ Al Mandous, Abdulla (2023). "President". WMO. World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 3 July 2023.