Elements for Life

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2. The basic responsibility of Members and their NMSs to

provide universal services in support of safety, security

and economic benefits for the peoples of their coun-

tries

3. The dependence of Members and their NMSs on the

stable, cooperative international exchange of meteo-

rological and related data and products for discharging

their responsibilities

4. The continuing requirement for Governments to provide

for the meteorological infrastructure of their countries,

5. The continuing need for, and benefits from, strengthen-

ing the capabilities of NMSs, in particular in developing

countries, to improve the provision of services

6. The dependence of the research and education

communities on access to meteorological and related

data and products

7. The right of Governments to choose the manner by,

and the extent to, which they make data and products

available domestically or for international exchange.

Recognizing further:

1. The existence of a trend towards the commercializa-

tion of many meteorological and hydrological activities,

2. The requirement by some Members that their NMSs

initiate or increase their commercial activities

3. The risk arising from commercialization to the estab-

lished system of free and unrestricted exchange of data

and products, which forms the basis for the WWW,

and to global cooperation in meteorology

4. Both positive and negative impacts on the capacities,

expertise and development of NMSs, and particularly

those of developing countries, from commercial oper-

ations within their territories by the commercial sector

including the commercial activities of other NMSs.

Reminds Members of their obligations under Article 2 of

the WMO Convention to facilitate worldwide cooperation

in the establishment of observing networks and to promote

the exchange of meteorological and related information;

and of the need to ensure stable ongoing commitment of

resources to meet this obligation in the common interest of

all nations;

Adopts the following policy on the international exchange

of meteorological and related data and products:

As a fundamental principle of the World Meteorological

Organization (WMO), and in consonance with the expand-

ing requirements for its scientific and technical expertise,

WMO commits itself to broadening and enhancing the free

and unrestricted

international exchange of meteorological

and related data and products;

Adopts the following practice on the international

exchange of meteorological and related data and products:

1. Members shall provide on a free and unrestricted basis

essential data and products which are necessary for

the provision of services in support of the protection

of life and property and the well-being of all nations,

particularly those basic data and products, as, at a

minimum, described in Annex 1 to this resolution,

required to describe and forecast accurately weather

and climate, and support WMO Programmes

2. Members should also provide the additional data and

products which are required to sustain WMO

Programmes at the global, regional, and national levels

and, further, as agreed, to assist other Members in the

provision of meteorological services in their countries.

While increasing the volume of data and products

available to all Members by providing these additional

data and products, it is understood that WMO

Members may be justified in placing conditions on

their re-export for commercial purposes outside of the

receiving country or group of countries forming a single

economic group, for reasons such as national laws or

costs of production

3. Members should provide to the research and education

communities, for their non-commercial activities, free

and unrestricted access to all data and products

exchanged under the auspices of WMO with the under-

standing that their commercial activities are subject to

the same conditions identified in Adopts (2) above.

Stresses that all meteorological and related data and prod-

ucts required to fulfil Members’ obligations under WMO

programmes will be encompassed by the combination of

essential and additional data and products exchanged by

Members;

Urges Members to:

1. Strengthen their commitment to the free and unre-

stricted exchange of meteorological and related data

and products

2. Increase the volume of data and products exchanged

to meet the needs of WMO Programmes;

3. Assist other Members, to the extent possible, and as

agreed, by providing additional data and products in

support of time-sensitive operations regarding severe

weather warnings

4. Strengthen their commitments to the WMO and ICSU

WDCs in their collection and supply of meteorologi-

cal and related data and products on a free and

unrestricted basis

5. Implement the practice on the international exchange

of meteorological and related data and products, as

described in Adopts (1) to (3) above

6. Make known to all Members, through the WMO

Secretariat, those meteorological and related data and

products which have conditions related to their re-export

for commercial purposes outside of the receiving country

or group of countries forming a single economic group;

7. Make their best efforts to ensure that the conditions

which have been applied by the originator of additional

data and products are made known to initial and

subsequent recipients.