As weather, climate and the water cycle know no national boundaries, international cooperation at a global scale is essential for the development of meteorology, climatology and operational hydrology as well as to reap the benefits from their application. WMO provides the framework for such international cooperation. The World Weather Research Programme of WMO promotes cooperative research for improved weather and environmental prediction services over various time scales. Since its establishment in 1998, the World Weather Research Programme has initiated, endorsed and facilitated various international research activities that required an especially large critical mass of effort, and that achieved immense progress in Weather Science.

In this colloquium, I will provide an overview of the coordinating role of WMO and the work in this international organization that facilitates global collaboration. Furthermore, I will present some of the activities undertaken in the World Weather Research Programme and briefly introduce options for a career path into WMO and the United Nation system.