WMO and ISO strengthen formal cooperation

15 October 2008, 12:22pm

In September, The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) agreed to increase their cooperation in the development of international standards related to meteorological and hydrological data, products and services. ISO Secretary-General Alan Bryden and WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud today signed an agreement on Working arrangements in Geneva, Switzerland, to formalize the partnership.

The WMO has liaison status with nearly 30 of ISO's technical committees developing standards with relevance to hydrometry, air quality, water quality, soil quality, geographic information, solar energy, petroleum and gas industry, information technologies, marine, quantities and units.

The Working arrangements between the WMO and ISO aim to strengthen the development of International Standards and to avoid duplication of work on standards related to meteorological, climatological, hydrological, marine and related environmental data, products and services.

Procedures are now in place for the accelerated adoption by ISO of WMO documents as ISO standards. WMO and ISO will develop, approve and publish common standards based on WMO technical regulations, manuals and guides. Upon signing the arrangements, Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General of WMO, stated that the new procedures “would clarify the authority of WMO documents and enhance their international recognition and dissemination. This will be of particular importance to the activities of National Hydrological and Meteorological Services in addressing standard issues.”

Alan Bryden, Secretary General of ISO, underlined that the agreement was an illustration of the increasing collaboration between the UN System and ISO, as well as of the contribution of international standards to responding to the challenges of climate change.

ISO and WMO have been working in close cooperation since the granting of consultative status to ISO by the WMO Executive Council at its fifth session in 1954.

ISO has recognized WMO as an international standardization body through ISO Council Resolution 43/2007 approved in December 2007.

WMO is the United Nations’ authoritative voice on weather, climate and water
For more information please contact:
Ms Carine Richard-Van Maele, Chief, Communications and Public Affairs, WMO.
Tel: +41 (0)22 730 83 15.
Ms Gaëlle Sévenier, Press officer, Tel: +41 (0)22 730 84 17

ISO

WMO

Geo: International