covered by ESSA. The United States receives 

 about 900 such worldwide reports daily relayed 

 from "collection points" to which they have been 

 radioed by the ships. The WMO is now seeking to 

 expand this program, including participation by 

 fishing fleets not now in the program. 



The WMO meets in "Congress" every four 

 years, and maintains a continuing Secretariat in 

 Geneva. Operational activities are primarily co- 

 ordinated by six Regional Associations (R.A.), 

 which meet every four years, usually not in the 

 same years as Congress (the United States is a 

 member of two R.A.). Between sessions of the 

 Congress the work of the WMO is furthered by 

 annual meetings of the executive committee. 



The U.S. delegation to the WMO Congress is 

 chaired by the "permanent representative to the 

 WMO," normally designated by the Secretary of 

 State as the Administrator, ESSA. U.S. positions 

 are recommended to the Secretary of State by the 

 permanent representative, in consultation with all 

 agencies conducting meteorological operations, in- 

 cluding the Defense Department; the Secretary of 

 State then reaches final positions, and makes them 

 known to the permanent representative. In addi- 

 tion, the WMO maintains several Commissions, 

 organized by disciplinary areas, such as the Com- 

 mission on Maritime Meteorology. The WMO seeks 

 technical expertise by forming suitable Working 

 Groups and Panels of Experts; membership in 

 these groups is usually open to any interested 

 nation. 



The WMO is also taking a major role in the 

 estabhshment of the World Weather Program. This 

 program originated in two UN resolutions, one 

 adopted in 1961, and the second a year later; the 

 UN recommended that all member states and 

 appropriate international agencies seek to improve 

 weather forecasting and to further scientific re- 

 search on the atmosphere. The resolutions called 

 upon the WMO, in collaboration with UNESCO 

 and ICSU, to develop a program to help meet 

 these goals. 



Out of the ensuing discussions have come the 

 proposals for what is now identified as the World 

 Weather Program. This program is two-fold: 



—World Weather Watch— a new international sys- 

 tem for observing the atmosphere over the entire 

 globe, and transmitting, processing, and analyzing 

 the world-wide weather data. 



—A comprehensive, long-term research program on 

 global weather systems, including the associated 

 data-collection effort, and on the atmosphere- 

 ocean and atmosphere-land interactions. 



The research program is intended to yield an 

 improved understanding of the atmosphere's gen- 

 eral circulation. The World Weather Watch would 

 exploit new developments in space technology, 

 instrumentation, data processing, and communica- 

 tions, as well as traditional techniques. Both 

 portions of the World Weather Program are under 

 active planning, not only in the WMO, but also in 

 ICSU for the Global Atmospheric Research Pro- 

 gram, including the Air-Sea Interaction Research 

 Program. 



Under the existing international weather sys- 

 tem, the world exchange of data, analyses, and 

 forecasts cover many parts of the globe, but there 

 are several deficiencies in the system: in observing 

 the atmosphere, in data processing, and in com- 

 munications. 



The first phase of the World Weather Program is 

 intended to remedy the current deficiencies. The 

 second phase includes the introduction of new 

 technology, major research efforts in the general 

 circulation of the atmosphere, and in air-sea 

 interaction. The United States is actively partici- 

 pating in all aspects of this program. Agreement on 

 steps to be taken by member nations as their part 

 in implementing the World Weather Program is 

 reached in the WMO; each nation is responsible for 

 funding those activities agreed upon. U.S. posi- 

 tions are coordinated by the State Department, 

 and represent the consensus of agency positions 

 reached in meetings of the Federal Committee on 

 Meteorological Services and Supporting Research. 



In its review of Federal agency programs, the 

 panel members were briefed on this nation's plans 

 to participate, on a cooperative basis, with many 

 other nations in the World Weather Program. The 

 President has endorsed this program for inter- 

 national cooperation in meteorological data collec- 

 tion, processing, and dissemination, to improve 

 weather forecasting. The program has also been 

 endorsed by the Congress of the United States in 

 concurrent Resolution No. 67. 



Recommendation : 



Global oceanographic monitoring and prediction 

 activities should be jointly planned with the World 



11-60 



