Joint WMO-IOC Collaborative Board (JCB)
What is the Joint WMO-IOC Collaborative Board?
The Collaborative Board is a high-level advisory and coordination body that brings the meteorological and oceanographic communities together to co-design, co-develop and implement joint scientific and technical work, across oceanography and meteorology, and to improve the provision of information and services for societal benefit on the open ocean, in coastal zones and in high latitudes.
The Collaborative Board, established in 2019 by WMO and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, dissolved and replaced the Joint WMO/IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM), which had been established in 1999, taking over the mandate of the JCOMM.
What is its mandate?
The Collaborative Board’s mandate is to coordinate the development, integration and implementation of the activities related to oceanographic and meteorological observation, data and information management, services, modelling and forecasting systems as well as research and capacity development carried out by WMO and IOC. It also provides strategic advice on joint work to the WMO and IOC governing bodies, as well as technical and scientific recommendations to WMO and IOC subsidiary bodies and programmes, including proposing cross-cutting projects. Lastly, it liaises with relevant intergovernmental and international stakeholders.
Who are its members?
The Collaborative Board is made up of ten representatives of WMO and IOC scientific and technical bodies, three WMO Executive Council members and three IOC Member State representatives chosen with geographical balance in mind, and two co-chairs. The co-chairs are a WMO Vice-President and an IOC Vice-Chairperson. The co-chairs serve two-year terms, renewable once, and represent the Collaborative Board at WMO and IOC governing body sessions, while other members serve four years.
How does it operate?
The Collaborative Board meets in person once a year, with intersessional work done by correspondence or virtually.
Follow the work of the Collaborative Board on the Knowledge Hub