World Meteorological Organization

The first Congress of the World Meteorological Organization, which convened in Paris from March 19 to April 28, 1951, elected Dr. G. Swoboda (Switzerland) Secretary-General. Dr. Swoboda, former chief of the IMO secretariat, was to be director of the permanent secretariat with headquarters in Geneva. WMO officers, who automatically became the officers of the Congress and the Executive Committee, were elected as follows: Dr. F. W. Reichelderfer (United States) President, A. Viaut (France) First Vice President, and N. P. Sellick (Southern Rhodesia) Second Vice President. Six regional associations were set up (Africa, Asia, South America, North and Central America, Europe and the South West Pacific). The Congress approved, with minor modifications, the text of the draft agreement between the United Nations and WMO, which provided for 1) recognition of WMO as a specialized agency; 2) reciprocal representation of the two organizations; 3) coordination with respect to agenda items, United Nations recommendations, and the exchange of information and documents; 4) advisory aid from the International Court of Justice; 5) cooperation with regard to location of WMO headquarters and regional offices, personnel arrangements, statistical and other services, budgetary and financial relationships, inter-agency agreements and liaison arrangements; and 6) implementation of the agreement and possible revision.