
Terms of Reference
Terms of Reference
This restructuring of the Organization will enhance proactive regional engagement and capacity development. In our response to the growing global demand for weather, climate and water expertise, the reform provisions assure that no Member is left behind. Below are the Terms of Reference for the new EC and Congress bodies.
Policy Advisory Committee
The Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) shall advise the Executive Council on any matters concerning the strategy and policy of the Organization submitted to it by the Executive Council, with a particular focus on:
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Maintaining awareness of global trends and external drivers that affect Members and the long-term vision-setting of the Organization
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Improving and aligning the Organization-wide strategic, operational and budget planning process, including monitoring of implementation of the Strategic Plan
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Keeping under review WMO policies and practices for the exchange of meteorological, hydrological and climatological and related data and products
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Optimizing WMO governance and programme structures, processes and practices to ensure the effective and efficient use of resources through a more strategic focus and within a quality management framework
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Addressing and keeping under review the evolution of the role and operation of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services
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Streamlining WMO scientific and technical programmes to ensure their relevance to the Strategic and Operating Plans and effectiveness
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Guiding the engagement of the Organization in partnerships with other UN and international organizations, the academia and the private sector
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Mainstreaming and advancing gender equality across the Organization, especially in governance and decision-making
Technical Coordination Committee
The Technical Coordination Committee (TCC) shall act as a two-way interface between the Executive Council and the technical bodies of the Organizations: technical commissions, the Research Board, and other relevant bodies. It shall ensure the coordination between these bodies and shall provide the necessary analytical information to inform EC decisions on technical matters. The TCC shall oversee the level of coordination between the technical bodies and the regional associations to ensure that the technical work of the Organization is properly guided by the needs and priorities identified by Members.
The committee shall report to the Executive Council on the following issues:
- Progress in developing further the WMO technical regulatory framework in a consistent manner by all technical bodies involved
- Status of compliance with technical regulations of the WMO Members, including advice on identified barriers to compliance and ways to address them to resolve deficiencies
- Impact and risk assessment of new standards and technology on the systems operated by Members, including financial and human resources impact
- Evolving user needs for information and services and alignment of the plans of the WMO technical bodies to meet those needs
- Collaboration and coordination between the technical bodies and regional associations to ensure that regional priorities and requirements are considered into the technical bodies’ planning
- Collaboration among the technical commissions, the Research Board and any other bodies established by Congress or Executive Council required to facilitate the transition of research to operations through co-design, operational testing and feed-back from operational community
- Issues of common concerns of regional associations, technical commissions, the Research Board and any other bodies established by Congress or Executive Council affecting the progress of implementation of the Strategic and Operating Plans
- Coordination with other bodies, such as SAP and PAC and any other issues that might be referred to by the Executive Council
Commission for Observation, Infrastructure and Information Systems (Infrastructure Commission)
The overall scope and specific terms of reference for the Commission for Observation, Infrastructure and Information Systems (Infrastructure Commission) shall be in accordance with the purposes of Organization defined in Article 2 of the Convention, in particular, items (a) through (c) and (e), and Regulations 180 to 196 and Annex III (as amended by this resolution) of the General Regulations.
The Commission shall contribute to: development and implementation of globally coordinated systems for acquiring, processing, transmitting and disseminating Earth system observations, and related standards; coordination of the production and use of standardized analysis and model forecast fields; and development and implementation of sound data and information management practices for all WMO Programmes and their associated application and services areas.
The work of the Commission shall encompass all approved WMO application areas, as listed in the Rolling Review of Requirements, as well as updated and emerging observing, information and infrastructure requirements.
The Commission shall promote the development of integrated systems to cover all application areas wherever possible, and shall ensure that these systems:
(a) Are user-driven and provide earth system observations, processed data and relevant services products and information to Members
(b) Are applicable, accessible and with life-cycle management across the full range of WMO Members
(c) Are built on a modular and scalable principle to the extent possible
(d) Make full use of existing WMO and other relevant standards and regulations
(e) Make use of and promote public-private engagement where advantageous
(f) Incorporate state-of-art optimal and fit-for-purpose technology
(g) Are based on user requirements developed in coordination with CSA and the Research Board
(h) Are building upon existing partnerships and networks among communities of practice within the service areas, which are beneficial for WMO Members.
The activities of the Commission shall be guided by the WMO Strategic Plan.
Commission for Weather, Climate, Water and Related Environmental Services and Applications (Applications Commission)
The Commission for Weather, Climate, Water and Related Environmental Services and Applications (Applications Commission) scope and specific terms of reference shall be in accordance with the purposes of Organization defined in Article 2 of the Convention, in particular, items (d) and (e); Regulations 180 to 196 and Annex III (as amended by this resolution) of the General Regulations.
The Commission shall contribute to the development and implementation of globally harmonized weather, climate, water, ocean and environment related services and applications to enable informed decision making and realization of socioeconomic benefits by all user communities and society as a whole.
The Commission shall encompass application areas with substructures as needed to implement the strategic plan including, but not limited to:
- Regulated and existing meteorological services (covered by WMO Technical Regulations (WMO-No. 49), in accordance with General Terms of Reference 2):
- aeronautical meteorological services
- marine and oceanographic meteorological services
- agrometeorological services
- public weather services
- climatological services
- hydrological services (pending CHy-Ext recommendations)
- Emerging services under development (currently subject of studies and evaluation for possible inclusion in regulated services, in accordance with General Terms of Reference 1):
- urban services
- environmental services
- multi-hazard early warning services
- polar and mountain area services
- health
- energy
- water management (pending CHy-Ext recommendations)
- land transportation
- other, as may become necessary
- Potential category for hydrological services (pending CHy-Ext recommendations)
The Commission shall promote a holistic approach to services and service delivery and assist Members to apply:
- Risk-based decision-making in support of disaster risk preparedness and reduction
- A service-oriented culture
- A strong user focus with ‘fit-for-purpose’ services
- Quality management in service delivery
- Standards for competence and qualification of personnel
- Mutually-beneficial public-private engagement providing optimized service delivery and added value to the society
- Accelerated uptake of advanced technology for service delivery
- Systematic evaluation of socio-economic benefits and other relevant market-oriented evaluations of products and services
The activities of the Commission shall be guided by the WMO Strategic Plan and the WMO Strategy for Service Delivery.
Research Board on Weather, Climate, Water and the Environment
The Research Board translates the strategic aims of WMO and decisions of the Council and Congress into overarching research priorities, and ensures the implementation and coordination of the research programmes to achieve these priorities in accordance with the purposes of Organization defined in Article 2(f) of the Convention.
The Board shall coordinate implementation and resourcing of WMO research programmes taking into account the advice of the Executive Council Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP). The Board shall address Members’ needs and support implementation of the WMO Strategic Plan based on science and implementation plans approved by the Executive Council and any co-sponsor governing bodies, as appropriate, for WMO research programmes and activities.
Joint WMO-IOC Collaborative Board
Mandate of the Joint WMO-IOC Collaborative Board
(a) To coordinate, through a quadrennial WMO-IOC collaborative strategy, the collaborative development, integration and implementation of the activities related to oceanographic and meteorological observation, data and information management, services, modeling and forecasting systems as well as research and capacity development carried out by WMO and IOC.
(b) To provide the WMO and IOC governing bodies with strategic advice on joint work between WMO and IOC to achieve relevant objectives, including proposing new actions, as required, e.g. by preparing coordinated draft resolutions and/or decisions for both the WMO and IOC governing bodies.
(c) To review work plans and provide technical and scientific recommendations for WMO and IOC subsidiary bodies and programmes, including proposing cross-cutting projects, and
(d) To engage in liaison or consultation required with relevant intergovernmental and international stakeholders.
Scientific Advisory Panel
The Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) shall be the scientific advisory body of the Organization, drawing up opinions and recommendations to Congress and to the Executive Council on matters concerning WMO research strategies and the optimal scientific directions to support the evolution of its mandate in weather, climate, water and related environmental and social sciences. The Panel shall provide forward-looking strategic advice on emerging challenges and opportunities, and in particular:
- Advise on areas in which, on the basis of available evidence, new technological and scientific advancement would open to new applications related to WMO core activities,
- Promote the global standing and visibility of WMO as a leading scientific organization in the fields of weather, climate, water and related environmental and social sciences within the UN and otherwise, and enhance the WMO role as facilitator of international cooperation in weather, climate, water, ocean and environmental sciences among all role players,
- Promote science vision, and its downstream trends, with WMO and among its Members as the primary driver for innovation, understanding and the development of new and improved weather, climate, water, ocean and related environmental services and know-how