• News
• About GCOS
  • Background
  • Governance
    • Sponsors
    • Steering Committee
      • SC-XX
      • SC-XIX
    • Panels
      • AOPC
        • AOPC-XVIII
        • AOPC-XVII
        • AOPC-XVI
        • AOPC-WGGRUAN
        • AOPC-WGLSA
      • OOPC
      • TOPC
        • TOPC-XV
        • TOPC-XIV
        • TOPC-XIII
    • GCOS Secretariat
  • Major Components
• Climate Observation Needs
  • UNFCCC and GCOS
  • UNFCCC Guidelines
  • GCOS Reports to UNFCCC
  • Essential Climate Variables
  • Climate Monitoring Principles
• Observing Systems and Data
  • GRUAN
    • GRUAN Manual Repository
    • Manuals general
    • Manuals instruments
• Activities
  • National Activities
  • Regional Activities
    • Regional Workshop Programme
    • ClimDev Africa
    • Technical Support Projects
  • GCOS Cooperation Mechanism
    • GCM Board
    • GCM Projects
  • CBS Lead Centres
  • Observations for Adaptation
• Partners
• Outreach
  • Publications
    • Technical Papers
  • Newsletter
  • GCOS Networks visualised
  • Calendar
• Contact

Governance

GCOS is directed by a Steering Committee which provides guidance, coordination and oversight to the programme. Three science panels, reporting to the Steering Committee, have been established to define the observations needed in each of the main global domains (atmosphere, oceans, and land), to prepare specific programme elements and to make recommendations for implementation:

• Atmospheric Observation Panel for Climate (AOPC)
• Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (OOPC)
• Terrestrial Observation Panel for Climate (TOPC)

The GCOS Secretariat located at the WMO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, supports the activities of the Steering Committee, the panels and the GCOS programme as a whole.