Geneva, Switzerland, May 24, 2007:            English-speaking Caribbean States were well represented at the 15^th Congress of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which was held in Geneva, Switzerland from May 7 to 25, 2007.  The Congress is the Supreme body of the WMO – the Geneva-based United Nations Specialized Agency that coordinates global activity in weather, water, climate and related aspects of the environment. 

    Directors of Meteorological Services and other senior Government officials from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, along with representatives of the Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO), have been involved in the three-week Congress.

    The WMO Congress meets once every four years and brings together delegations from its 188 Member States and Territories to determine, among others, the general policies of the Organization.  Many leaders of Governments from around the world addressed the Congress on the socio-economics benefits of weather, water and climate to their countries and regions.

    The Congress debated and approved the scientific and technical programmes and activities of the Organization in weather, climate and water to be carried out across the world over the next four years.  Caribbean delegations were heavily involved in tough negotiations on the WMO long-term plans and budget allocations, which included the level of technical assistance to be given to developing countries, particularly in technological transfer and human resources development. 

    The Directors of Met Services secured continuing support from the global community for the application of the latest research to their activities in tropical storm and hurricane forecasting and warnings, water resources assessment and assessing the impacts of climate change on the region, and in improving services to specific sectors, such as the aviation, marine and tourism industries and the general public.

    The Caribbean also featured strongly in the election of officials to oversee the work of the WMO over the next four years.  The WMO Congress re-appointed Mr Michel Jarraud of France as its Secretary-General.  The elected non-resident President comes from Russia, the First Vice-President from Iran and the Third Vice-President from Brazil.  The Coordinating Director of the Port of Spain-based Caribbean Meteorological Organization (CMO), Mr Tyrone Sutherland, was unanimously re-elected for a second term as the WMO’s Second Vice-President.  Mr Sutherland has served on the WMO Executive Council since 1999, and was first elected as a Vice-President in 2003.

    The CMO is the Specialized CARICOM Agency that coordinates the joint scientific and technical activities in weather, water, climate and related sciences in 16 English-speaking Caribbean countries.

The WMO Congress ended on Friday 25 May 2007.