5 July 2012: At its annual meeting, the Executive Council of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) considered a draft implementation plan for the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS), which aims to increase the availability, accuracy and relevance of climate services to cope with natural and human-induced fluctuations in climate.

The 64th session of the Executive Council took place from 25 June – 3 July 2012, in Geneva, Switzerland. It aimed to prepare for the first-ever Extraordinary World Meteorological Congress to decide on the governance and implementation of the GFCS, which aims to fill gaps in the provision of science-based climate information and tailor to the needs of a wide range of users. The initial priority areas for GFCS action are agriculture and food security, water management, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and health.

The Executive Council stressed that the GFCS should serve as a coordinating mechanism that builds strong partnerships between existing initiatives in order to address weaknesses and gaps in the provision of climate services. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and the Global Water Partnership showed support for the initiative. The draft implementation plan is currently open for review by all stakeholders, including governments.

The Executive Council also discussed other WMO priorities, including: enhanced DRR; improved observation and information systems; more efficient meteorological services for the aviation sector; and strengthening the capacity of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) in developing countries; and partnerships to address weaknesses and gaps. [WMO Press Release][WMO 64th Session Website]