WMO Space Programme structure and governance

Structure and governance

The Programme is supported by the WMO Space Programme Office, who acts as a WMO focal point for satellite matters and maintains active relationship with a number of programmes and international bodies in this area.  The Office is part of the Observing and Information Sytems Department (OBS), WMO Integrated Global Observing Systems Branch (WIGOS), and includes one Space-Based Observing System Division.

WMO Members contribute to the WMO Space Programme through the activities of their respective space agencies and through the work of their experts and training centres.

Governance

The Commission for Basic Systems (CBS) has the lead role for the WMO Space Programme, in full consultation with the other technical commissions. CBS leadership relies on WMO Member technical expertise provided primarily through the CBS Open Programme Area Group for Integrated Observing Systems (OPAG-IOS) and its Expert Teams on Satellite Systems (ET-SAT), on Satellite Utilization and Products (ET-SUP) and on the Evolution of the Global Observing system (ET-EGOS). The OPAG-IOS makes recommendations to CBS biennially.  CBS reports annually to the WMO Executive Council through the report of the president of CBS.

A formal dialogue is established with environmental satellite agencies through the WMO Consultative Meetings on High-level Policy on Satellite Matters (CM), which provide advice and guidance on policy-related matters and maintain a high-level overview of the WMO Space Programme.

Regional Rapporteurs

Regional Associations have nominated Rapporteurs on the Space Programme with the followingTerms of Reference.

Relations with partners

As a cross-cutting programme, the Space Programme works in connection with the different WMO or co-sponsored programmes he is responding to, such as World Weather Watch (WWW), Disaster Risk Reduction Programme (DRR), Tropical Cyclone Programme (TCP) or Global Climate Observing System (GCOS).

The Space Programme maintains close cooperation with the Co-ordination Group for Meteorological Satellites (CGMS) and its three science groups: the International A-TOVS Working Group (ITWG), the International Precipitation Working Group (IPWG) and the International Winds Working Group(IWWG). It also cooperates with the Committee for Earth Observations Satellites (CEOS) and its Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS) partnership, the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and its Global Earth Observation System of Sytems (GEOSS). Regular relationship is maintained with United Nations system organizations such as FAO, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, and the Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

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