"Congress recognized that the WWW continues to be the "core" operational infrastructure facility for all WMO Programmes as well as for many international programmes of other agencies. Congress reaffirmed that the WWW Programme, with the evolving development of its observing, information and data-processing and forecasting components, continues to be the backbone Programme of WMO that not only accomplishes its goals through the coordinated efforts of Members, but also directly contributes to cross-cutting activities. Congress agreed that the WWW should provide a fundamental contribution to all WMO priority areas, namely, the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS), Disaster Risk Reduction, the WMO Integrated Global Observing System (WIGOS), the WMO Information System (WIS), Capacity-building and Aeronautical Meteorology."

Sixteenth World Meteorological Congress - Geneva, 16 May - 3 June 2011

1. Purpose and scope of the World Weather Watch (WWW) Programme

1.1 The World Weather Watch (WWW) Programme facilitates the development, operation and enhancement of worldwide systems for observing and exchanging meteorological and related observations, and for the generation and dissemination of analyses and forecast products, as well as severe weather advisories and warnings, and related operational information. The activities carried out under this Programme collectively ensure that Members have access to the required information to enable them to provide data, prediction and information services and products to users. WWW is organized as an international cooperative programme, under which the infrastructure, systems and facilities needed for the provision of these services are owned, implemented and operated by the Member countries. This is based on the fundamental understanding that the weather systems and patterns do not recognize national boundaries and are always evolving on varying temporal and spatial scales, and that international cooperation is paramount, as no one country can be fully self-sufficient in the provision of all weather, water and climate related services.

1.2 The Programme's main functions are planning, organization and coordination of the facilities, procedures and arrangements at the global and regional levels, related to the design of observing and communications networks, the standardization of observing and measuring practices and techniques, the use of data management principles, the application of scientific and technical means for assuring, analysing and predicting weather systems, and the presentation of the information in a form and format that is understood by all, regardless of language. WWW is the key Programme of WMO in providing basic data, analyses, forecasts, and warnings to Members and other WMO and co-sponsored Programmes, such as the Global Climate Observing System and Global Ocean Observing System, and relevant international organizations.

1.3 WWW puts priority on capacity-building activities to avail of technological advances to enhance the WWW components, especially in developing countries, and on cost-effective, systematic monitoring and improvements to the operations of WWW that can be derived thereof. Thus, it allows Members to obtain maximum benefits from the WWW.

1.4 The WWW Programme effectively contributes to the implementation of all the WMO Expected Results of the WMO Strategic Plan. Many of the activities are strongly linked with all other WMO Programmes and it will provide direct support to the future WMO high priority areas, namely GFCS, DRR, WIGOS and WIS, Capacity-building and Aeronautical Meteorology.