Res

Res. 14 (Cg-XIII) -

JOINT WMO/IOC TECHNICAL COMMISSION FOR OCEANOGRAPHY AND MARINE METEOROLOGY

THE CONGRESS,

NOTING:

(1)	Articles 19 and 26 of the Convention;
(2)	Regulations 179 - 194 and Annex III of the General Regulations;
(3)	Resolution 10 (EC-XLI) - Joint IOC/WMO Committee for the Integrated Global Ocean Services System (IGOSS);
(4)	The Abridged Final Report with Resolutions of the Fiftieth Session of the Executive Council (WMO-No. 883), general summary paragraphs 6.4.4 to 6.4.8;
(5)	Resolution EC-XXXI.13 of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and section 4.3 of the final report of IOC EC-XXXI;

NOTING FURTHER the requirement expressed by the Global Climate Observing system (GCOS) Steering Committee, the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) Steering Committee and the Joint Scientific Committee for the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) for a coherent joint WMO/IOC mechanism for the implementation and international coordination of operational oceanography;

RECOGNIZING:

(1)	The substantial contribution made to WMO, and previously to the International Meteorological Organization, in the field of marine meteorology by the Commission for Marine Meteorology (CMM) since its establishment in 1907, and the need to maintain support for maritime safety services and as well as responsibilities in the preparation of regulatory and guidance material for the Organization;
(2)	The major support already provided to operational oceanographic observing networks and services, the World Weather Watch, the World Climate Programme, GOOS and GCOS, individually by CMM, the Integrated Global Ocean Services system (IGOSS) and the Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP);

RECOGNIZING FURTHER:

(1)	That although no precedents exist for a WMO technical commission jointly sponsored by another intergovernmental body, such a joint sponsorship can be achieved within the context of Articles 19 and 26 of the Convention, in particular when the responsibilities of the commission overlap significantly with those of the other body and joint sponsorship is in the interests of WMO;
(2)	That modification to the WMO General Regulations is required to introduce the concept of a jointly sponsored technical commission;

CONSIDERING:

(1)	The need for a fully coordinated mechanism for implementing the requirements for ocean and surface marine meteorological data in support of GOOS and GCOS;
(2)	The expanding requirements of all marine users for a comprehensive range of marine meteorological data and products;
(3)	The need to coordinate and manage better the existing range of marine-related activities of WMO and IOC, to reduce duplication and overlap, enhance efficiencies and reduce costs to both bodies;
(4)	The potential benefits to be gained from making better use of the diverse and extensive range of expertise and facilities available to both WMO and IOC at all levels;
(5)	The benefits expected to flow to national Meteorological and Hydrological Services from enhanced international interdisciplinary cooperation;
(6)	The expected cost savings from a rationalization of existing marine-related bodies and activities, and from joint support of marine programme activities by WMO and IOC;

DECIDES to modify the WMO General Regulations as specified in Annex 1, to introduce the concept of a jointly sponsored technical commission;

DECIDES FURTHER, subject to a similar decision being taken by the Twentieth IOC Assembly in June-July 1999:

(1)	To establish a Joint WMO/IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM), to replace the existing CMM and IGOSS, with terms of reference as given in Annex 2;
(2)	That JCOMM will become the reporting and coordinating mechanism for the DBCP and for other existing and future operational ocean-related activities within WMO;

URGES Members:

(1)	To provide every support possible to JCOMM to contribute to its success, including the nomination of appropriate experts to serve on the technical commission and to undertake work on its behalf;
(2)	At the national level, to make efforts to enhance coordination and cooperation between meteorologists and oceanographers, both to ensure a balanced input to the work of JCOMM, and also to develop a truly multidisciplinary approach to marine monitoring and services, in support of WMO and IOC Programmes and of the needs of all marine users;

REQUESTS the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Executive Secretary IOC, the president of CMM and the chairman of IGOSS, to establish procedures and a timetable for the transition to JCOMM, as well as a firm agreement on financing and Secretariat support for the new body.

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Annex 1 to Resolution 14 (Cg-XIII)

AMENDMENTS TO WMO GENERAL REGULATIONS TO INCLUDE CONCEPT OF A JOINTLY SPONSORED TECHNICAL COMMISSION

Include new General Regulation 180 after existing General Regulation 179

In conformity with Articles 19 and 26 of the Convention, a technical commission may be established jointly with another intergovernmental body of the UN System when the proposed terms of reference of the technical commission overlap substantially with the activities of the other body, and such joint sponsorship is deemed to be in the interests of WMO. In such a circumstance of joint sponsorship, the following terminology with respect to technical commissions within these regulations should be read as indicated:

(a)	Members shall also imply Member States of the cosponsor;
(b)	Secretary-General shall also imply Executive Head of the cosponsor;
(c)	Congress and Executive Council shall also imply Governing Bodies of the cosponsor;
(d)	Secretariat shall also imply the Secretariat of the cosponsor;
(e)	Organization shall also imply the cosponsoring body;
(f)	Permanent Representatives of Members of the Organization shall also imply the formal national focal points of the cosponsor;
(g)	Convention shall also imply the Convention, Statutes or other formal or legal defining document of the cosponsor;
(h)	Regulations shall also imply the Regulations of the cosponsor.

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Annex 2 to Resolution 14 (Cg-XIII)

AMENDMENTS TO ANNEX III TO THE GENERAL REGULATIONS

Replace in the first paragraph: "The technical commissions of the World Meteorological Organization.....," the Commission for Marine Meteorology (CMM) by Joint WMO/IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM).

Replace under Individual terms of reference: II. Applications Commissions, the entry for Commission for Marine Meteorology (CMM) with the following:

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

The Technical Commission shall be responsible for matters relating to:

Further development of the observing networks

Under the guidance of the relevant scientific and operational programmes of IOC and WMO, development, maintenance, coordination and guidance of the operation of the global marine meteorological and oceanographic observing systems and supporting communications facilities of these organizations to meet the needs of the IOC and WMO Programmes and in particular of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS), the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) and the World Weather Watch (WWW). Evaluation on a continuing basis of the efficiency of the overall observing system and suggesting and coordinating changes designed to improve it.

Implementation of data management systems

Development and implementation, in cooperation with the Commission for Basic Systems (CBS), the Committee for International Data and Information Exchange (IODE), the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), and other appropriate data management bodies, end to end data management systems to meet the real-time operational needs of the present operational systems and the global observing systems; cooperation with these bodies in seeking commitments for operation of the necessary national compilation, quality control, and analysis centres to implement data flows necessary for users at time scales appropriate to their needs.

Delivery of products and services

Provision of guidance, assistance and encouragement for the national and international analysis centres, in cooperation with other appropriate bodies, to prepare and deliver the data products and services needed by the international science and operational programmes, Members of WMO, and Member states of IOC. Monitoring of the use of observations and derived products and suggesting changes to improve their quality. Coordination of the safety-related marine meteorological and associated oceanographic services as an integral part of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

Provision of Capacity Development to Member States

Review and analysis of the needs of Member States of IOC and Members of WMO for education and training, and for technology transfer and implementation support in the areas of responsibility of the technical commission. Provision of the necessary technical publications, guidance material, and expert lecturers/trainers and operation of workshops as required to meet the needs. Development of projects to enhance Member States capacity to participate in and benefit from marine meteorological and oceanographic programmes of WMO and IOC.

Assistance in the documentation and management of the data in international systems

Development of cooperative arrangements with the data management bodies of IOC, ICSU, and WMO, such as IODE, the Commission for Climatology (CCl), and the ICSU World Data Centres to provide for comprehensive data sets (comprising both real-time and delayed mode data) with a high level of quality control, long term documentation and archival of the data, as required to meet the needs of secondary users of the data for future long term studies.

These responsibilities exclude those aspects specifically handled by other WMO constituent bodies or equivalent bodies of IOC.

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