Transcript World Meteorological Organization WMO OMM Working together in weather, climate and water WMO Technical Regulations – revisited D.

World Meteorological Organization
WMO OMM
Working together in weather, climate and water
WMO Technical Regulations –
revisited
D. Ivanov – DRA/ROE
WMO
www.wmo.int
A bit of a history
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IMO years
“At the present time, the increasing interest in meteorology research shown by all
civilized countries has led to a demand for far-reaching coordination and
standardization of the methods and procedures in use in different countries.”
Invitation letter to the preparatory conference of
the First International Meteorological Congress
Leipzig, 14 August 1872
A bit of a history
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IMO years
One of the main reasons for the creation of WMO as an intergovernmental organization and
a UN specialized agency was the need of establishment and promotion of global standards
for meteorological observations and exchange of data.
IMO tried to impose standards for a Réseau Mondial as early as 1905, but with little
success.
“The IMO case was typical of pre-World War II scientific internationalism. For 75
years the organization remained a cooperative non-governmental association
of national weather services. The principle of interaction was explicitly voluntary.
As a result, IMO standards and policies functioned only as recommendations,
which nations were at liberty to refuse or simply ignore. … Each national weather
service chose its own balance between IMO standards and its own, sometimes
diverging techniques.” Paul N. Edwards, Meteorology as Infrastructural Globalism
A bit of a history
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From IMO to WMO
The main driver to standardization between the two wars came from the rapidly developing
international air navigation
The Paris Convention of 1919, also known as Convention relating to the Regulation of
Aerial Navigation, established the International Commission for Air Navigation (ICAN)
At the same time, IMO established Technical Commission for the Application of
Meteorology to Aerial Navigation. But it was ignored by the governments participating in
ICAN due to its weak status
In 1935, IMO transformed the Commission into an International Commission for
Aeronautical Meteorology (CIMAé) with members appointed by governments.
CIMAé became the first, and until after the WW II, the only IMO entity to acquire official
intergovernmental status.
A bit of a history
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From IMO to WMO
The transformation of IMO into WMO was not easy with a major division among the
meteorological community:
• those who preferred to keep the organization as a cooperative mechanism
independent from politics;
• those who saw the need for intergovernmental status as a must in view of establishing
a real global network of national institutions operating under global standards for
collection and exchange of data and information.
Though the second way of thinking prevailed after WW II and WMO was created between
1947 and 1951, the influence of the first group of thinking is seen even today in the “soft”
language used in the WMO regulations, which rather than dictating to its Members States,
would “promote”, “encourage”, “facilitate”, etc.
A bit of a history
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“This history [of WMO and WWW] illustrates a profoundly important
transition from voluntarist internationalism, based on shared
interests, to quasiobligatory globalism, based on a more
permanent shared infrastructure. The WMO and the WWW thus
represent infrastructural globalism, by which “the world” as a
whole is produced and maintained (as both object of knowledge and
unified arena of human action) through global infrastructures.”
Paul N. Edwards, Meteorology as Infrastructural Globalism
Setting Regulations and Standards
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WMO has established a global regulatory framework, initially for the
meteorological, later on, for hydrological and climatological activities, which, in the
technical field, requires all Members to align their national practices with a set of
standard and recommended practices.
This regulatory framework is expected to be transposed into the national
legislation and regulation, which each Member establishes for the conduct of
meteorological, hydrological and climatological activities.
The three pillars of the WMO regulatory framework are:
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Three regulatory pillars of WMO
Since 1951, WMO Cg-I
Setting Regulations and Standards
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WMO Convention:
Article 2, Purpose
(c) To promote standardization of meteorological and related observations and to ensure
the uniform publication of observations and statistics;
Article 8, Functions (of WMO Congress)
(d) To determine regulations prescribing the procedures of the various bodies of the
Organization, in particular the General, Technical, Financial and Staff Regulations;
Article 9, Execution of Congress decisions
a) All Members shall do their utmost to implement the decisions of Congress;
b) If, however, any Member finds it impracticable to give effect to some requirement in a
technical resolution adopted by Congress, such Member shall inform the SecretaryGeneral of the Organization whether its inability to give effect to it is provisional or final, and
state its reasons therefor.
Setting Regulations and Standards
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General Regulations:
Annex III, Structure and Terms of Reference of Technical Commissions
General terms of reference
… each technical commission shall:
2.
Develop, for consideration by the Executive Council and Congress, proposed
international standards for methods, procedures, techniques and practices in
meteorology and operational hydrology including, in particular, the relevant parts of
the Technical Regulations, guides and manuals;
Individual terms of reference of TCs
Standards (making and implementation support) are mentioned in the TORs of [CBS],
CIMO, CAeM (quality standards), and JCOMM
Setting Regulations and Standards
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Technical Regulations:
The Introduction ( in the updated version, General Provisions) contains all important
definitions and procedures
Purpose
These Regulations are designed:
(a) To facilitate cooperation in meteorology and hydrology between Members;
(b) To meet, in the most effective manner, specific needs in the various fields of application
of meteorology and operational hydrology in the international sphere; and
(c) To ensure adequate uniformity and standardization in the practices and procedures
employed in achieving (a) and (b) above.
Setting Regulations and Standards
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Technical Regulations:
Standards and Recommended Practices - differences
Standard
practices and procedures
Recommended
practices and procedures
necessary for Members to follow or implement
desirable for Members to follow or implement
distinguished by the use of the term shall
distinguished by the use of the term should
status of requirements
status of recommendations
defined in a technical resolution
Members shall do their utmost to implement
Members urged to comply with
Article 9(b) of the Convention is applicable
Article 9(b) of the Convention is not applicable
Members shall inform SG of inability or
impracticability of implementation
No requirement
GR 128 is applicable
GR 128 is not applicable
Setting Regulations and Standards
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GENERAL REGULATION 128
[1]
[2]
[3]
[notification of non-compliance (inability)] A Member which is unable to give effect to a
requirement in a technical resolution which has been adopted by Congress, or by the
Executive Council on behalf of Congress, and to which the provisions of Article 9 (b)
of the Convention and of these Regulations have been specifically stated to apply,
shall so inform the Secretary-General in writing within a period of 90 days after the
notification of the decision by the latter. The Member concerned must indicate, in its
communication to the Secretary-General, whether its inability to give effect to the
resolution is provisional or final and state its reasons therefor.
[notification of compliance] Members shall specifically notify the Secretary-General in
writing of their intention to apply the “standard practices” of the Technical Regulations
except for those for which they lodge specific deviations.
[notification of non-compliance (deviation)] Members shall also inform the SecretaryGeneral, at least three months in advance, of any change in the degree of their
implementation of a “standard practice” as previously notified and of the effective date
of the change.
Setting Regulations and Standards
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Technical Regulations:
Other elements of the TRs
•Notes - included in the Technical Regulations for explanatory purposes; they may, for
instance, refer to relevant WMO Guides and WMO publications of factual information.
These notes do not have the status of Technical Regulations.
•Appendices - texts called appendices appearing in the Technical Regulations or in an
annex to the Technical Regulations have the same status as the Regulations to which they
refer.
Setting Regulations and Standards
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Technical Regulations:
Other elements of the TRs
• Annexes - contain regulatory material having the status of the Technical Regulations.
These annexes, normally also called manuals, are established by decision of Congress
and are intended to facilitate the application of Technical Regulations to specific fields. In
principle, annexes may contain both standard and recommended practices and procedures.
• Definitions – published in the TRs or respective Annexes; they have the same status as
the TR provision they refer to
Setting Regulations and Standards
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WMO Guides (not part of the TRs) - describe practices, procedures and specifications
which Members are invited to follow or implement in establishing and conducting their
arrangements in compliance with the Technical Regulations and in developing
meteorological and hydrological services in their respective countries.
NOTE: It is necessary to determine responsibilities of relevant bodies to keep Guides up-todate
Setting Regulations and Standards
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Technical Regulations:
Principles in the selection of material for inclusion in the Technical Regulations
(agreed by Congress)
• Technical commissions should not recommend that a Regulation be a standard practice
unless it is supported by a strong majority; (mature for global implementation)
• Technical Regulations should contain appropriate instructions to Members regarding
implementation of the provision in question; (implementable)
• No major changes should be made in the Technical Regulations without consulting the
appropriate technical commissions; (relevant)
• Any amendments proposed to these Technical Regulations submitted by Members or by
constituent bodies should be communicated to all Members at least three months before
they are submitted to Congress. (globally informed and supported)
Setting Regulations and Standards
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Technical Regulations:
Updating procedures - amendments
• Approval of amendments – as a rule, by Congress
• Exceptions
 Approval by Executive Council (in accordance with Article 14(c) of the
Convention):

if the change is to be implemented before the time of next Congress

Amendments to annexes to the Technical Regulations proposed by the
appropriate technical commissions are normally approved by the
Executive Council.
 the President of the Organization may approve a change on behalf of the
Executive Council (in accordance with GR 9(5)) if the change is urgent.
Setting Regulations and Standards
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Technical Regulations:
Keeping track of amendments – proposed procedure
Definitions
• Amendment – any change to the TRs and/or one or more of the Annexes
• Edition – a consolidated updated publication, published after each Congress, containing
all amendments approved since the time of previous Congress; the edition should be
indicated by the year of the respective Congress
• Update – an updated publication, published after approval by EC or the President of one
or more amendments to the TRs and/or Annexes; the updates should be numbered
sequentially.
NB! Amendments should be made available to Members at least 3 months before
their consideration by Congress (or EC)
Setting Regulations and Standards
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Technical Regulations:
Keeping track of amendments – proposed procedure
Possible Timeline
Setting Regulations and Standards
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How to formulate a standard:
Types of standards and recommended practices
 Each standard defines a requirement
 Two main groups of requirements:
 Institutional or System requirements
• Establishment of global, regional, and national networks and facilities with
their scope, objectives and composition
• Establishment of authority, responsibility, mandatory management practices
• Human resources requirements (e.g., ETR, competences, qualifications)
 Technical – operational, functional, procedural
Setting Regulations and Standards
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How to formulate a standard:
Types of standards
 System requirements – exaples:
 Definition of a system, including its scope, objectives and composition:
[A.2.1.] 1.1: The Global Data-processing System shall include World Meteorological
Centres, Regional Meteorological Centres and National Meteorological Centres.
 Designation of national facilities/networks
Manual on GOS: 2.8.3: Each Member shall establish and maintain at least one
reference climatological station.
 Designation of regional facilities/networks
Manual on GOS: 2.1.3.1: Regional networks shall be established in relation to the
regional requirements.
 Definition of a service
Manual on MMSs: 2.2.3.1: Weather and sea bulletins for the high
seas shall include, in the order given hereafter: Part I: Warnings; Part II: …
Setting Regulations and Standards
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How to formulate a standard:
Types of standards recommended practices
 Technical requirements - examples
Manual on GOS: 2.3.1.4: The intermediate standard times for surface synoptic
observations shall be 0300, 0900, 1500 and 2100 UTC.
Manual on MMSs: 2.2.3.1: Weather and sea bulletins for the high
seas shall include, in the order given hereafter: Part I: Warnings; Part II: …
 Recommended practice - example
[B.1.] 4.2.4: Annual averages should be computed from the monthly averages by
dividing the sum of the monthly averages by twelve, without consideration of the
varying lengths of the months.
Setting Regulations and Standards
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How to formulate a standard:
Some general principles (in preparation)
• Requirements for the designation of national components of systems shall be addressed
to Members (not to any particular institution)
• Functional/operational requirements for centres and other facilities operated by Members
shall be addressed to Members
• Purely technical requirements for global standardization are stated without mentioning
specific addressee
• Requirements related to global and regional systems should also define responsibilities
of Members involved in their implementation
Setting Regulations and Standards
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Technical Regulations:
Enforcement
 By inclusion in national legislation and regulation
 By commitment for implementation – in accordance with GR 128
 Recognition by other organizations – e.g., ICAO recognizes the WMO regulations
related to education and training of aeronautical meteorological personnel
 Through international regulation, e.g., European Commission
Setting Regulations and Standards
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Technical Regulations:
Enforcement
Example: European Commission regulation on SES recognizes ICAO regulations
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) No 1035/2011
of 17 October 2011
laying down common requirements for the provision of air navigation services and amending
Regulations (EC) No 482/2008 and (EU) No 691/2010
Until the Agency [the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)] has drawn up the
implementing measures transposing the relevant standards of the International Civil
Aviation Organisation (ICAO) into Union implementing measures, acceptable means of
compliance, certification specifications and guidance material, air navigation service
providers should operate in compliance with the relevant ICAO standards.
Setting Regulations and Standards
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Technical Regulations:
Monitoring of implementation
REGULATION 202
The general functions of the Secretariat shall be:
…
(8) To maintain records of the extent to which each Member implements the decisions of
the Organization;
Example: http://www.wmo.int/pages/prog/dra/eur/RA6_WG_TDI_TDCF_Project-2.php
Non-compliance by a Member with certain WMO TR should be defined as a deficiency.
Critical deficiency should be defined as a case of non-compliance which seriously affects
the overall performance of international system(s).
Setting Regulations and Standards
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Technical Regulations:
Monitoring of implementation




WMO should create routine procedures for evaluation of Member’s compliance with
the standards. Regional Associations and Technical Commissions should play a major
role.
It would be desirable to encourage members to report also on the implementation of
the recommended practices and procedures.
An important concept – deficiencies:
 Non-compliance by a Member with certain WMO TR should be defined as a
deficiency.
 Critical deficiency should be defined as a case of non-compliance which
seriously affects the overall performance of international system(s).
Identification of critical deficiencies with their ownership (Members) would play an
important role in channeling the technical/institutional assistance in order to improve
the overall compliance with the WMO regulations.
Setting Regulations and Standards
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Technical Regulations:
Monitoring of implementation

Example
Members’ responsibilities
Each Member shall ensure that it has a National Meteorological Centre adequately staffed
and equipped to enable it to play its part in the World Weather Watch.
Technical Regulations
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Purpose – follow-up of
Resolution 45 (Cg-XVI) – TECHNICAL REGULATIONS OF THE WORLD
METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
…
Requests the Secretary-General:
(1) To arrange for the amendments, as approved by the Executive Council, to be
included in the Technical Regulations and to ensure the editorial consistency of
the relevant documents, including editorial amendments to the Manual on the
WMO Information System;
(2) To ensure the revision of the regulatory documents in a systematic manner and
ensure that the published versions of the regulatory documents can be used as
reference documentation within a nationally implemented Quality Management
System;
(3) To ensure that the amended versions of the Technical Regulations are translated
in all official languages of WMO, with the minimum time lag.
Technical Regulations
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An Editorial Group was set up in Secretariat to conduct a
comprehensive review of the technical regulations
Phase 1:
 Incorporate all amendments approved by the EC and Congress into a new
edition (2012) of the Technical Regulations
 Special attention to Volume I - General Meteorological Standards and
Recommended Practices
 Conduct consistency check and align the provisions through editorial changes
Phase 2:
 Prepare a proposal for a new structure of the Technical Regulations to reflect
changes during the last 2 - 3 decades
 Develop a proposal for a streamlined process for keeping the TRs up-to-date
and consistent
Technical Regulations
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Results of Phase 1:
Full update to Technical Regulations - Volume I, ready for publishing as
Edition 2011, including:
 All amendments already approved by EC and Cg incorporated;
 Previous supplements/corrigenda incorporated;
 Document revision track record inserted for future updates;
 Consistency checks within Volume I and with other Volumes as
regards definitions;
 Pure editorial changes (but bringing serious improvements):
•
•
•
•
footnotes converted to notes to respective articles;
outdated references removed; inclusion of references unified;
outdated definitions revised, definitions not used - removed;
use of abbreviations minimized.
Technical Regulations
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Findings of Phase 1:
Some inconsistencies observed:
 Inappropriate use or lack of “shall” and “should” in a number of
provisions;
 Some provisions lack
shall/should implement);
defined
addressee
(not
clear
who
 Improvements of the style and language are needed to make the
provisions more clear for Members to foster their implementation;
 Consistency throughout different Volumes and Annexes need to be
enforced;
 Plenty of descriptive material “embedded” in some provisions;
should be send to Attachments or relevant guidance material.
Technical Regulations
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Lessons learned and proposals for Phase 2:
To resolve inconsistencies:

Guidance material on “how to formulate good standards and recommended
practices” should be prepared (Secretariat to draft);

A briefing to be prepared for the next sessions of all Technical
Commissions;

Regular cycle of new editions and updates should be introduced;

Improved Technical Regulations will help to promote “a culture of
compliance” including better observance by Members of Article 9 of the
Convention and General Regulation 128;

To ensure their enforcement, WMO regulations should be adequately
transferred into Members’ national legislation and regulation. This should
be strongly promoted and guidance to Members should be provided.
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SUMMARY
 The standard-making process of
WMO is complex involving many
actors and sub-processes
 It should be streamlined through
better coordination between the actors
and better description of the
processes involved
 Quality management is a must in
establishing international standards
and regulations.