Feb. 26, 2023, 9:11 p.m.
(Image: wikipedia)
We continue our series of publications on the activities of global international organizations. We refer to such organizations as structures whose members are the vast majority of countries. An important feature of such organizations is that the rules and decisions they adopt actively influence the formation of a certain area of human interests - politics, economics, justice, sports, etc. Today we will focus on the World Meteorological Organization.
General characteristics of the UN
General description of the World Meteorological Organization
General characteristics of the United Nations
The United Nations consists of 193 states. All sovereign countries can be found among the UN member states, except for the Vatican. Such a respectable representation potentially allows to consider and resolve any issues of global or regional level. In particular, the UN is able to extinguish armed conflicts, as it was repeatedly demonstrated in the twentieth century (Iraq, the former Yugoslavia, Somalia).
The organization is headquartered in New York. The UN also has additional offices in Vienna, Geneva, Nairobi and The Hague. The organization uses six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
The UN structure includes six main bodies: The General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Secretariat, the International Court of Justice and the Trusteeship Council. However, the latter body has been formally suspended since 1994. The chief official of the UN is the Secretary-General. Since January 1, 2017, this position has been held by Portuguese politician and diplomat Antonio Guterres.
General description of the World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is an intergovernmental agency of the United Nations, whose activities are aimed at international cooperation and coordination of efforts in the field of meteorology. The WMO monitors the state of the atmosphere, its interaction with the earth and oceans, weather, climate, and the distribution of water resources. The organization has 193 members, including 187 independent countries and 6 territories. The WMO is headquartered in Geneva.
Distribution of WMO members by region. Image: Wikipedia
The WMO headquarters in Geneva. Photo: Wikipedia
The WMO is derived from the International Meteorological Organization, which was founded at the Vienna International Meteorological Congress in 1873. The WMO itself was established in 1950. A year later, the organization became part of the UN system.
The Congress is the highest body of the WMO. Every 4 years, it brings together representatives of all members of the organization. The main functions of the Congress are: to determine the general policy of the organization; to admit new members; to establish and coordinate the activities of subordinate bodies; to approve plans and budget for the current period; to elect the president and vice-presidents of the WMO, as well as members of the executive council; to appoint the secretary general.
The 17th WMO Congress. Photo: WMO Twitter
The Executive Council implements the decisions of the Congress. The Council coordinates the work of programs, manages the budget, considers resolutions and recommendations of regional associations and technical commissions, studies the situation and makes recommendations on international meteorology. The Council is composed of a President, three Vice-Presidents, six Presidents of the Regional Associations and 27 other members. The Council meets at least once a year.
The six regional associations are responsible for coordinating the work in the following regions: Africa; Asia; South America; North America, Central America and the Caribbean; Southwest Pacific; and Europe. Regional associations meet every two years. They determine regional priorities and further activities.
The Secretariat is the administrative, documentation and information center of the WMO. The body is headed by the Secretary General.
The President and the Secretary-General are considered to be the key persons of the WMO. Both officials are elected for a 4-year term. The President presides over the Congress and the Executive Council. In June 2019, German meteorologist Gerhard Adrian was elected to this position.
WMO President Gerhard Adrian. Photo: WMO
Since January 1, 2016, Finnish meteorologist Petteri Taalas has been the Secretary General. His term of office was extended for a second term.
WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas. Photo: Wikipedia
WMO coordinates global efforts in the field of weather research, which results in accurate and timely forecasts. Members of the organization work together to create a global geosystem research network that allows for the rapid exchange and systematization of information. The contribution of each WMO member multiplies efforts and makes global weather forecasting as effective as possible.
The WMO coordinates research on climate, its variations, climate extremes and changes in the past and present. The organization also supports research on the impact of climate on various socio-economic sectors to enable better decision-making and minimize the risks of climate change. The WMO, together with its members, develops technical standards for research tools to make the information collected easier to systematize and compare. Climate information is also important to monitor greenhouse gas emissions reductions, increase energy efficiency, and transition to a carbon-neutral economy.
Water is a resource that can have both a positive and negative impact on the lives of billions of people. This impact is especially noticeable due to certain climate changes. The WMO Congress has identified eight "ambitions" aimed at expanding control over the planet's water resources. In particular, attention is drawn to the fight against floods and droughts, the need to monitor water quality, collect information and conduct further research.
Changes in the composition of the Earth's atmosphere are currently causing concern as they affect the weather, climate, ecosystem, etc. The main problems include climate change, ozone holes, and air pollution. The WMO has proposed the Global Atmosphere Observations program, which aims to analyze trend changes in the composition of the atmosphere and assess the possible consequences of such changes. The program's mission is to organize and coordinate research on the chemical composition of the atmosphere at the global level. The program provides science-based information to policy makers at various levels, supports international conventions to reduce stratospheric ozone, and monitors climate change and air pollution.
WMO's Atmospheric Research and Environment program improves the efficiency of the forecasting process: from short-term forecasts for the next 6 hours to forecasts for the next 2 weeks.
WMO is making efforts to launch projects of cooperation between governments and international and financial organizations. In particular, the Alliance for Hydrometeorological Development project aims to bring developed countries closer to overcoming major weather, climate, and water challenges by 2030. In addition to WMO, organizations such as the World Bank Group, the European Bank, the Asian Development Bank, UNEP, WFP, UNDP, and others have joined the project.
WMO helps member countries build the capacity of national meteorological services. The main focus of this activity is on developing countries, least developed countries and small islands. The WMO's work includes launching educational programs and trainings, assisting in the development of local legislation in the hydrometeorological field, conducting research and concluding partnership agreements, and establishing information services. WMO assistance can come in the form of direct funding, access to technology and expertise, and the use of various resources from developed countries and partner international and financial organizations.
The Hydrometeorological Service was founded in Ukraine in 1921. Later, Ukraine became one of the co-founders of the WMO. Ukraine regularly fulfills its obligations to the organization by providing operational weather, aerological and climate information to the WMO global network. The Hydrometeorological Service of Ukraine is involved in almost all WMO programs, including Global Atmospheric Observations, the World Weather Service, etc. Ukrainian specialists participate in various WMO events, such as conferences, symposia, seminars, etc.
In October 2022, WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said at a press conference that "from a climate perspective, the war in Ukraine can be seen as a blessing." He explained that the energy crisis has forced the world's states to look for alternatives to oil and gas. Therefore, according to Taalas, the war in Ukraine will push the world to switch to renewable energy. Obviously, the WMO Secretary General's statement is extremely careless. Even if his energy forecast is correct, the way he presented it could offend millions of people.
The WMO works in an area whose importance for the present and future world cannot be overestimated. The problems of ozone holes, air pollution, and global warming are actively discussed by scientists. And even if someone is skeptical about these issues, it would be illogical to ignore the numerous studies and information flows in this area. It is WMO that acts as the flagship and coordinator of global efforts in the field of research of the Earth's atmosphere. The organization has 193 members, the same number as the UN. Therefore, WMO is able to involve almost all countries in its projects, and through the UN system, international and financial organizations. WMO is able to provide its members with various assistance in the development of the national meteorological industry. The organization's work is greatly facilitated by the fact that it positions itself as absolutely apolitical. Thus, the WMO occupies an important place in the world of global international organizations.
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