Joint WMO-IOC Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM)

The Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) is an intergovernmental body for international coordination of oceanographic and marine meteorological observing, data management and services.

The Joint Technical Commission combines the expertize, technologies, capacity and development capabilities of the meteorological and oceanographic communities. Recognition that worldwide improvements in coordination and efficiency could be achieved by combining the expertize and technological capabilities of WMO and UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) led to its creation.

The Joint Technical Commission coordinates, develops and recommends standards and procedures for fully integrated marine observing, data management and services system that uses state-of-the-art technologies and capabilities and is responsive to the evolving needs of all users of marine data and products. It also coordinates an outreach programme to enhance the national capacity of all maritime countries. The Joint Technical Commission aims to maximize the benefits of projects, programmes and activities that it undertakes in the interest of Members and of the global community in general.

The long-term objectives of Joint Technical Commission include:

• To enhance the provision of marine meteorological and oceanographic services in support of the safety of life and property at sea and in coastal areas; of risk management for ocean-based economic, commercial and industrial activities; of the management of marine and coastal areas; and to coordinate and enhance the provision of the data, information, products and services required to support climate research and the detection and prediction of climate variability;
• To coordinate the development, enhancement and delivery of climate services related to the marine atmosphere and coastal and deep oceans, based on the core competencies within the Commission in marine meteorology and oceanography, as a contribution by JCOMM to the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS);
• To coordinate the enhancement and long-term maintenance of an integrated global marine meteorological and oceanographic observing and data management system, as part of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), the World Weather Watch (WWW), other operational programmes, and in support of the GFCS; and in collaboration with the WMO Commission for Basic Systems (CBS), the Committee for International Data and Information Exchange (IODE), and other appropriate bodies;
• To manage the evolution of an effective and efficient programme through the selective incorporation of advances in meteorological and oceanographic science and technology; and to work to ensure that all countries have the capacity to benefit from and contribute to these advances;
• To promote and facilitate the equitable participation of all WMO Members and IOC Member States in all activities of, and benefit from all products and services provided by, JCOMM.

Prior to 1999, marine meteorological and oceanographic observations, data management and service provision programmes were internationally coordinated by two separate bodies – the WMO Commission for Marine Meteorology (CMM) and UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) – through the Committee for the Integrated Global Ocean Services System (IGOSS). While enhancing safety at sea remained the primary objective of marine forecast and warning programmes, requirements for data and services steadily expanded in volume and breadth during the preceding decades. Moreover, many of other applications required observational data sets and prognostic products for both the oceans and the overlying atmosphere.

Responding to these interdisciplinary requirements necessitated the development of ever closer working relationships between oceanographers and marine meteorologists. This was reflected at the global level by growing collaboration between the IOC and the WMO in organizing and coordinating ocean data acquisition, data management, the provision of related services, and associated capacity development needs. In 1999, Thirteenth World Meteorological Congress and the 20th IOC Assembly (July 1999) formally agreed that a new IOC/WMO Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) should be established, initially through the merger of CMM and IGOSS.

Co-President (for Oceanography): Nadia PINARDI (Ms)  - Italy
Co-President (for Meteorology):  - VACANT -