25 February 2013: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued the January-December 2012 newsletter from its Voluntary Cooperation Programme (VCP) and Development and Regional Activities Department. The publication details, among other activities, new funding agreements to support climate service systems in West Africa, Haiti, Peru and Ethiopia, and summarizes the outcomes of past partnerships, including on drafting meteorology bills, installing automatic weather stations and updating a meteorological service strategic plan.

The newsletter outlines projects and news from the VCP, provides an update of development activities, and summarizes important meetings held in 2012 related to VCP and development activities.

Among the VCP projects listed are: finding sponsorship for 17 of the 21 projects for which States requested assistance in 2012; sending expert missions to Kiribati, Seychelles and Samoa; and providing Emergency Disaster Assistance to Fiji following flooding. Its also announces an Informal Planning Meeting of major donors to the VCP to be held from 18-19 April 2013, in Curaçao.

In the development activities section, the newsletter provides an overview of: several projects, including the Norway Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) programme for Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Africa; and new funding agreements facilitated by WMO, including an arrangement by the WMO and Canada to support weather, climate and hydrology forecasting activities in Haiti. [Publication: WMO VCP Newsletter January-December 2012]