ICAO and WMO Compliant AWOS

Founded in 1947, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which oversees the principles and techniques of international air navigation. Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec in Canada, the organization is funded and directed by 193 national governments. The ICAO members consist of 192 of the 193 UN members as well as the Cook Islands. Liechtenstein is the only UN member not included among the ICAO members, as it is the only country without an international airport.

The primary function of the ICAO is both to support diplomacy and cooperation of their member states in air transport as well as to research new air transport policy and standardize aviation innovations as directed by governments through the ICAO Assembly. In a world facing immense technological growth and environmental crisis, the ICAO strives for sustainable aviation growth around the globe.

As part of their function, the ICAO Council adopts standards and recommended practices for their members concerning, but not limited to, the following:

• Air navigation and aviation infrastructure
• Flight inspection procedures
• Assists in the facilitation of border-crossing procedures for international civil aviation.
• Defines the protocols used for air accident investigation which are followed by transport safety authorities in all countries who are signatory to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.
• Provide standardization for raw METAR observational weather data allowing it to be understood throughout most of the world by aircraft pilots and meteorologists.

However, it is important to note that the ICAO is not a global regulator and therefore does not have authority over any national governments. The ICAO standards never supersede the authority of national regulatory requirements and serve merely as a cooperative measure to connect and standardize aviation technology.

Founded in 1950, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations with 193 member states and territories which are responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology, and geophysics. The WMO is governed by the World Meteorological Congress, which meets every four years to set policies and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.

The WMO serves as the United Nations’ authoritative voice on the status and behavior of Earth’s atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans and land, the climate and resulting weather patterns, as well as the distribution of water resources throughout the world. The WMO provides the global framework for international cooperation on the development of meteorology and operational hydrology and plays a leading role in the international efforts to monitor and provide protection for the environment.

The WMO coordinates the worldwide efforts which are required to produce accurate and timely weather forecasts. The Organization also performs weather observations through their group World Weather Watch. The World Weather Watch collects meteorological, climatological, hydrological, and oceanographic data from over 15 satellites, 100 moored buoys, 600 drifting buoys, 3,000 aircraft, 7,300 ships, and roughly 10,000 land-based observation stations.

Accurate and reliable weather data can protect lives and property and promotes the general welfare of global populations. Where aviation is concerned, accurate weather readings are crucial. The WMO produces standards for automatic weather stations and helps oversee the standardization of METAR data.