How the Reform works

How the Reform works

Members of the WMO have committed to a governance reform in order to better respond to the growing global demand for weather, climate and water expertise. WMO is not alone, the United Nations is on a similar path. Members want better governance, efficiency gains and improved effectiveness throughout the UN system in order to optimize the use of limited resources.

Current structure.pngThe work of the WMO is guided by strategic and operational plans that are adopted every four years. The 2020–2023 Strategic Plan was adopted by the Eighteenth World Meteorological Congress in June 2019. In 2015, the Seventeenth Congress “requested the Executive Council to continue to introduce specific measures for improvement of WMO processes and practices and also to undertake a holistic review of the Organization, including its processes and working practices, in implementing the Strategic Plan 2016–2019.”

In addition to Congress, which is the ultimate decision-making body of WMO, the WMO governance structure currently includes the Executive Council, six Regional Associations (RAs), and eight Technical Commissions (TCs). As per the request of Congress, the review addresses the overall structure of this group of bodies as well as the composition of each one’s membership. This includes the politically sensitive issue of EC membership (including the number and distribution of seats and the schedule for rotation of members). The review may also address other concerns, such as coordination among bodies, the role of WMO regional offices, and the perception that meetings and costs have proliferated. The reform requires a smooth transition that does not disrupt ongoing business.

“Congress requested the Executive Council to provide recommendations to the Eighteenth Congress on constituent body constructs, as appropriate, including possible new structures for TCs, RAs, EC, and also to provide recommendations on rules, procedures,  processes, working mechanisms, and duties, of constituent bodies, WMO Officers (President, vice presidents, PRAs [Presidents of Regional Associations] and PTCs [Presidents of Technical Commissions]) and the relationship between them and the WMO Secretariat to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Organization and good governance.”

EC Working Group on Strategic and Operational Planning (WG-SOP)

The 2016 annual meeting of the Executive Council (EC-68) tasked the EC Working Group on Strategic and Operational Planning* (WG-SOP) with launching this review. The WG-SOP established a subgroup on Structure, Planning and Budget to look into this issue as well as the preparation of the 2020–2023 WMO Strategic and Operational Plans. The reform process, therefore, is taking place in parallel with the development of the new Strategic Plan.

Composition
  1. President (Chairperson)
  2. Acting First Vice-President/Second Vice-President
  3. Acting President of RA I
  4. President of RA II
  5. President of RA III
  6. President of RA IV
  7. President of RA VI
  8. A. Abd El-Aal
  9. G. Adrian
  10. M.L. Bah
  11. T. Hashida
  12. P. Evans
  13. A. Johnson
  14. J.-M. Lacave
  15. J. Lengoasa
  16. M.A. Lopez Gonzalez
  17. A.A.E. Martis
  18. Y. Liu (Ms)
  19. K. Takahashi Guevara
  20. L.W. Uccellini
  21. C.L. Wong (Ms)
  22. M. Yakovenko

 

*The EC Working Group on Strategic Operational Planning had been re-established by EC-67 Resolution 1 in 2015.

Constituent Bodies Reform Task Force (CBR-TF)

The Constituent Bodies Reform Task Force (CBR-TF) was established by EC-70 to perform an oversight function with regard to the implementation of the WMO Constituent Bodies Reform Transition Plan and Communication Strategy. The group will be active from July 2018 until the completion of the Constituent Bodies Reform transition.

The Task Force
  • regularly reviews the Transition Plan and provides guidance and support to the Secretary-General on its development
  • monitors the implementation of the Transition Plan through a set of success indicators and provides guidance to the Secretariat on corrective actions as necessary.
  • monitors the implementation of the WMO Constituent Body Reform Communication Strategy, provides advice on outreach materials and events, and assess their outcomes
  • provides progress reports to the Cg-18 (June 2019), EC-71 (June 2019) and a final report to the EC-72 (June 2020)
Composition

Chaired by Prof. Gerhard ADRIAN, the Task Force is composed by the following EC members:

  • Phil EVANS
  • Louis UCCELLINI
  • Toshihiko HASHIDA
  • David GRIMES
  • Maxim YAKOVENKO
  • Albert MARTIS
  • Chin Ling WONG
  • Mamadou Lamine BAH
  • Guillermo NAVARRO

The Chairperson may invite additional experts to support the work of the task force.

Working mechanisms

The CBR-TF will conduct regular meetings (through videoconferencing and face-to-face). A special webpage on the CBR will be a place for posting relevant materials reflecting the work of the task force. Secretarial support will be provided by the CER Department.

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