The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is not the most well-known organization in the United Nations system. The lack of notoriety is a feature, not a bug. Unlike some other parts of the U.N., the WMO mandate is to focus on data rather than policy advocacy. Specifically, the WMO is a technical agency for coordinating and sharing atmospheric and oceanic data used to forecast weather events, track freshwater availability, and support civil aviation, marine navigation, and industry. Data from member states is shared and used to aid industry, facilitate transportation, and save lives through early warning systems.
Nonetheless, as with other organizations, the WMO has seen mission creep. Advocates, including United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, have pressed the organization to be more active in the climate change debate. As the WMO responded to these pressures, its budget increased by over 18% in the past decade.
