
History of WMO
History of WMO
The establishment of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in March 1950, following the entry into force of its Convention, and the designation of WMO in 1951 as a specialized agency of the United Nations, heralded a new era for international cooperation in the field of meteorology, hydrology and related geophysical sciences.
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WMO celebrated its 70th Anniversary in 2020. Activities to mark the Organization milestone anniversary start on 23 March – the date the WMO Convention came into force in 1950. One year later, WMO became a United Nations specialized agency and, today, WMO Member States and Territories number 193. But the history of international cooperation in meteorology dates back much earlier than 1950.
The World Meteorological Organization has had five Secretaries-General since 1952 - Michel Jarraud (1 January 2004 to 31 December 2015), Godwin Olu Patrick Obasi (1 January 1984 to 31 December 2003), Aksel C. Wiin-Nielsen (1 January 1980 to 31 December 1983), David Arthur Davies (1 January 1956 to 31 December 1979), Gustav Swoboda (1 January 1952 to 31 December 1955).
The International Meteorological Organization (IMO) finds its origins in the 1873 Vienna International Meteorological Congress, which tasked a Permanent Meteorological Committee to draft the rules and statutes of an international meteorological organization to facilitate the exchange of weather information across national borders.