60 years of service for your safety and well-being

--Message by Michel Jarruad, Secretary-General of WMO, on the occasion of World Meteorological Day 2010


致力于人類安全和福祉的六十年

——世界氣象組織秘書長米歇爾?雅羅2010年世界氣象日的獻詞



Every year on 23 March, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the international meteorological community join in celebrating World Meteorological Day, to commemorate the coming into force of the WMO Convention on 23 March 1950, precisely 30 days after the day when the thirtieth instrument of ratification of the Convention was deposited by countries wishing to join the new Organization. The text of the Convention had previously been approved unanimously, on 11 October 1947, by representatives of 31 countries at a Conference of Directors of National Meteorological Services held in Washington, D.C.


每年3月23日，世界氣象組織（WMO）和國際氣象界共同慶祝世界氣象日，以紀念《世界氣象組織公約》于1950年3月23日正式生效的日子，更確切而言，那是在希望加入這個新組織的國家交存第30份《公約》批準書之后第30天起生效之日。早在1947年10月11日，出席在華盛頓特區(qū)召開的國家氣象局長大會的31個國家代表就已一致批準了《公約》文本。


Until then, international collaboration in meteorology had been the mission of the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which resulted from a process launched at the First International Meteorological Congress (Vienna, September 1873) to facilitate coordinated observations and instrument standardization and which was also responsible for the 1896 publishing of the first international cloud-atlas. The IMO assumed its form through a sequence of decisions adopted by an ad-hoc Permanent Committee presided by C.H.D. Buys Ballot (Netherlands), during the period between the Vienna Congress and the Second International Meteorological Congress (Rome, April 1879).


在此之前，國際氣象合作曾一直是國際氣象組織（IMO）的使命，這一合作起源于第一次國際氣象大會（1873年9月，維也納）發(fā)起的一個旨在促進開展協(xié)調(diào)觀測并實現(xiàn)儀器標準化的進程，而且通過國際合作該組織還成就了于1896年出版的第一部國際云圖集。在維也納大會至第二次國際氣象大會（1879年4月，羅馬）期間，由C.H.D.布依斯·巴洛特（荷蘭）主持的一個特別常設(shè)委員會通過了一系列決定，國際氣象組織這才變得羽豐形滿。


A key outcome of the Rome Congress was the establishing of the International Meteorological Committee, firstly presided by Heinrich Wild (Russia/Switzerland), with the responsibility to review IMO progress periodically and to take any necessary actions. Thus was born the predecessor of our WMO Executive Council. Moreover, although the two congresses were governmental meetings, the International Meteorological Committee agreed that IMO would function more efficiently, at that time, as a non-governmental organization. Therefore, no further International Meteorological Congresses were convened by IMO and a system of Conferences of Directors of Meteorological Services was established instead, on a non-governmental basis.


羅馬大會的一個重要成果是組建了國際氣象委員會，該委員會第一次會議由海恩里奇·威爾德（俄羅斯/瑞士）主持召開，其職責是定期審議IMO的進展情況，并采取任何必要的行動。這個后來成為WMO執(zhí)行理事會的前身機構(gòu)由此問世。然而，雖然前兩次大會屬于政府間會議，但是國際氣象委員會一致認為：當時國際氣象組織作為一個非政府組織將會更有效地發(fā)揮作用。從此，IMO不再繼續(xù)召開國際氣象大會，而以建立按非政府機構(gòu)運作的氣象局長大會制度取而代之。


In addition to its key role in the standardization of observations, IMO made outstanding contributions to scientific research, in particular by organizing the first two International Polar Years, during the periods 1882-1883 and 1932-1933, on a scale that exceeded the capabilities of any single nation.
IMO and WMO in fact coexisted for a very short period, before the final IMO Conference of Directors gathered in Paris from 15-17 March 1951, and, at its closure, IMO President Sir Nelson Johnson (UK) formally declared that IMO ceased to exist and that WMO had taken its place. Two days later, on 19 March 1951, the First WMO Congress opened in Paris and at the end of the same year, on 20 December 1951, The United Nations General Assembly adopted its Resolution 531(VI) and WMO became a specialized agency of the United Nations System.


國際氣象組織除了在觀測標準化方面發(fā)揮其關(guān)鍵作用外，它還特別在1882～1883年和1932～1933年期間通過組織前兩次國際極地年為科學研究做出了突出貢獻，其規(guī)模超出任何一個國家的能力。事實上，在1951年3月15-17日在巴黎召開最后一次成員國氣象局長大會之前，國際氣象組織和世界氣象組織共存了很短的一段時期。在這次大會閉幕時，國際氣象組織主席納爾遜·約翰遜爵士（英國）正式宣布，國際氣象組織不復(fù)存在，而由世界氣象組織取而代之。兩天以后即1951年3月19日，第一次世界氣象組織大會在巴黎開幕。同年年底，1951年12月20日，聯(lián)合國大會通過其第531（VI）號決議，世界氣象組織成為聯(lián)合國系統(tǒng)的一個專門機構(gòu)。


WMO was therefore fortunate that its founders chose to erect it upon the solid base laid out by IMO and through a Convention which, with minor amendments, has succeeded in providing all the strength and the flexibility needed by WMO to take appropriate initiatives and to face the challenges it encountered over six decades. From the start, WMO was recognized as the paradigm of successful international cooperation and even the Cold War was no impediment, since meteorology does not distinguish political boundaries, so cooperation flourished during those difficult years. Observational networks were extended to cover practically the entire globe and measurements were expanded to include all traditional and even some non-traditional environmental parameters.


因此，世界氣象組織的幸運在于，其創(chuàng)始人選擇將本組織建立在國際氣象組織所奠定的堅實基礎(chǔ)之上，并通過一個只略作修改的《公約》，成功地提供了世界氣象組織需要的所有實力和靈活性，以采取適當?shù)男袆?，并迎接過去六十年來所遇到的各種挑戰(zhàn)。從一開始，世界氣象組織就被公認為國際合作的成功典范，甚至在冷戰(zhàn)時期也沒有障礙，因為氣象不區(qū)分政治界限，所以在那些艱難的歲月，合作依然欣欣向榮。觀測網(wǎng)絡(luò)擴大到實際覆蓋的整個地球，測量范圍則擴大到涵蓋所有傳統(tǒng)的、甚至某些非傳統(tǒng)的環(huán)境參數(shù)。


WMO was however always aware of the risks and the 1986 WMO Technical Document No 99 - Possible Climatic Consequences of a Major Nuclear War - shall remain a historic reference for future generations. The nuclear winter scenario has now ceased to be a major concern but, by then, WMO had released its 1976 authoritative statement on the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the potential impacts on the Earth’s climate, which contributed to focus attention on global warming and climate change, clearly seen today as a major threat to sustainable development and even to human survival, and which United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has identified as “the defining challenge of our era”.


然而，WMO對這些風險始終有清醒的意識。1986年，WMO出版了第99號技術(shù)文件，題為《重大核戰(zhàn)爭可能帶來的氣候后果》，該文件對子孫后代將是一份具有歷史意義的參考文獻。核冬天現(xiàn)已不再是人類主要擔心的情景，但是之后，WMO于1976年發(fā)布了關(guān)于大氣二氧化碳累積及其對地球氣候潛在影響的權(quán)威聲明，促使國際社會重點關(guān)注全球變暖和氣候變化問題，今天，顯而易見，這個問題對可持續(xù)發(fā)展，甚至是人類生存均構(gòu)成了一個主要威脅，聯(lián)合國秘書長潘基文已將其稱為“我們這個時代的決定性挑戰(zhàn)”。


Following the First World Climate Conference, organized in 1979 to consider the looming threat of climate change and its potential impacts, WMO and ICSU established the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), subsequently also joined by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. WCRP has been vital for science, in particular by providing the scientific foundation of the assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which WMO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have co-sponsored since 1988 and which at the end of 2007 received the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.


1979年舉辦了第一次世界氣候大會，大會考慮了氣候變化的威脅及其潛在影響。繼這次大會之后，WMO和國際科學理事會設(shè)立了世界氣候研究計劃（WCRP），隨后聯(lián)合國教科文組織的政府間海洋學委員會（IOC）也加入其中。WCRP在科學上具有至關(guān)重要的意義，特別是對于政府間氣候變化專門委員會（IPCC）的評估報告而言，可謂提供了科學基礎(chǔ)，IPCC于1988年成立，是由WMO和聯(lián)合國環(huán)境規(guī)劃署（UNEP）共同發(fā)起的，2007年年底IPCC榮獲了著名的諾貝爾和平獎。


Moreover, as a consequence of the Second World Climate Conference (Geneva, November 1990), WMO joined forces with ICSU, UNEP and the IOC of UNESCO to establish the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS).? In addition, the Second World Climate Conference set in motion the process leading to the establishment of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).


此外，作為第二次世界氣候大會（1990年11月，日內(nèi)瓦）的一項成果，WMO與國際科學理事會、聯(lián)合國環(huán)境規(guī)劃署和聯(lián)合國教科文組織的政府間海洋學委員會一道建立了全球氣候觀測系統(tǒng)（GCOS）。另外，第二次世界氣候大會啟動了最終導致建立聯(lián)合國氣候變化框架公約（UNFCCC）的進程。


Another major challenge arrived in 1975 when WMO convened a group of experts to release an authoritative statement alerting the world on the thinning of our protective stratospheric ozone layer shielding us from exposure to excessive ultraviolet radiation. The ozone-hole issue demonstrated the importance of long-term measurements, without which ozone destruction would have continued unabated and might not have been detected until more serious damage was evident.? The ensuing Montreal Protocol to the Vienna Convention has been an outstanding example of collaboration among scientists and decision-makers.


1975年面臨了另外一個重大挑戰(zhàn)，那時WMO召集一批專家發(fā)表了一份權(quán)威性聲明，警示世人阻使我們免受過量紫外線輻射影響的平流層中臭氧層正在變薄。臭氧空洞問題表明，長期測量至關(guān)重要。若不開展長期測量，臭氧將繼續(xù)無節(jié)制地遭受破壞，而且也許發(fā)展到明顯的嚴重程度時才會發(fā)現(xiàn)臭氧層已遭破壞。隨后簽訂的維也納公約下的蒙特利爾議定書一直是科學家與決策者開展合作的一個杰出范例。


As we look back over these six decades, several developments opened exceptional scientific and technological possibilities for the Organization; for example, the launching of artificial satellites and the unprecedented possibilities which they offered in terms of observations, in coincidence with the thriving development of computers and telecommunications. These initially individual factors soon converged to facilitate real-time international exchange of data and products and the implementation of the World Weather Watch, a key WMO programme, which became the basis for the others.


當我們回首過去60年的歷程，有幾個發(fā)展動向使本組織特有的科學技術(shù)成為可能，例如人造衛(wèi)星的發(fā)射及其在觀測方面提供的前所未有的可能性，無獨有偶，計算機和通信也取得了蓬勃發(fā)展。這些最初單個因素不久便集中起來，促進了國際資料和產(chǎn)品的實時交換和世界天氣監(jiān)視網(wǎng)的實施，該監(jiān)視網(wǎng)是WMO的一個關(guān)鍵計劃，并成為其它計劃的基礎(chǔ)。


WMO sponsored research flourished. After the Organization assumed IMO responsibilities, it joined forces with the International Council for Science (ICSU) to launch the 1957-1958 International Geophysical Year and, more recently, the International Polar Year 2007-2008, which is still producing exceptional scientific results. WMO and ICSU organized in 1967 the Global Atmospheric Research Programme and its famous experiments, among which the GARP Atlantic Tropical Experiment, the Monsoon Experiment and the 1978-1979 First GARP Global Experiment, or Global Weather Experiment.


WMO發(fā)起的研究工作得到了蓬勃發(fā)展。在本組織繼承了國際氣象組織的職責后，WMO與國際科學理事會（ICSU）共同努力發(fā)起了1957～1958年國際地球物理年。最近，又發(fā)起了2007～2008年國際極地年，同樣取得了特有的科學成果。WMO和ICSU于1967年組織了全球大氣研究計劃（GARP）及其幾次著名的試驗，其中包括GARP大西洋熱帶試驗、季風試驗和1978～1979年首次GARP全球試驗或全球天氣試驗。


Marked improvement in weather forecasting soon followed:? whereas in 1950 we only could hope for 24- to 36-hour forecasts, today we have useful seven-day predictions, an achievement of WMO’s international coordinating role in observations, research, analysis and modelling, and also led to longer-range predictions, from a season to a year ahead. This would not have been possible without the free and unrestricted international exchange of data and products, a concept so implicitly structured in the spirit of the WMO Convention that it had not been formally included initially.


很快在天氣預(yù)報方面取得了顯著進展：1950年，我們僅希望能夠制作24至36小時預(yù)報，而今天我們能夠制作有用的7天預(yù)報，這是WMO在觀測、研究、分析和模擬領(lǐng)域發(fā)揮國際協(xié)調(diào)作用取得的一項成就，我們還促進了更長時間尺度的預(yù)測，可提前一個季節(jié)甚至一年預(yù)測。若沒有資料和產(chǎn)品免費和無限制的國際交換，上述預(yù)測是無法實現(xiàn)的，這一理念雖然蘊含在《世界氣象組織公約》的精神中但最初并未正式寫入。


By the 1990s, however, the international services-delivery structure had substantially evolved from its form of the 1950s, and at one point this situation developed enough for it to become a major challenge, which was addressed by WMO Members with foresight and determination, within the traditional spirit of cooperation and satisfactorily resolved through World Meteorological Congress Resolutions 40 (Cg-XII) and 25 (Cg-XIII).


然而，20世紀90年代，國家間提供服務(wù)的結(jié)構(gòu)發(fā)生了很大演變，已不同于20世紀50年代的形式。這種形勢發(fā)展到一定程度，足以構(gòu)成一個重大挑戰(zhàn)。富有遠見和決心的WMO會員本著傳統(tǒng)的合作精神迎接了這一挑戰(zhàn)，并通過世界氣象大會第40號決議（第12次大會）和25號決議（第13次大會）成功地化解了這難題。


Natural hazards pose very serious threats to human security, so WMO has devoted substantial efforts to develop operational warning systems and effective preparedness measures, which have contributed to a significant decrease in the associated loss of lives. To ensure that these benefits reach its Members, WMO has devoted considerable attention to the development needs of the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, in particular in the least developed countries, to warrant that they have ready access to advanced products and the capacity to use them according to their national requirements and their global commitments, an objective driven by WMO’s fundamental mission.


由于自然災(zāi)害對人類安全構(gòu)成了嚴重威脅，因此WMO在發(fā)展業(yè)務(wù)預(yù)警系統(tǒng)和有效防御措施方面投入了巨大努力，這些努力大大降低了相關(guān)的生命損失。為確保其會員從中受益，WMO高度重視國家氣象和水文部門，尤其是最不發(fā)達國家的氣象和水文部門的發(fā)展需求，旨在保證它們隨時獲得先進產(chǎn)品，并具備根據(jù)本國的需求及其承擔的全球義務(wù)使用這些產(chǎn)品的能力，這是WMO的根本使命所推動的一個目標。


During these 60 years, the map of the world has changed substantially, and today WMO’s Membership comprises 189 countries and territories, following the recent incorporation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste on 4 December 2009.? However, at the time of joining WMO some of our newer Members lack the experience and the resources to establish even the most fundamental weather services in support of their sustainable development, so technical cooperation and education and training are areas in which WMO accomplishments have clearly made a difference.


六十年間，世界地圖已出現(xiàn)很大變化，隨著2009年12月4日東帝汶民主共和國的加入，當前世界氣象組織的會員包括了189個國家和地區(qū)。然而，一些新會員當初加入世界氣象組織時由于十分缺乏經(jīng)驗和資源，以至于不能建立最基本的氣象服務(wù)來支持其可持續(xù)發(fā)展，所以技術(shù)合作、教育培訓是WMO的工作領(lǐng)域，WMO在這些領(lǐng)域的成就已使局面出現(xiàn)明顯改觀。


The resolution to incorporate hydrology within the scope of WMO developed between the Second (1955) and Third (1959) World Meteorological Congresses. The latter established the Commission for Hydrological Meteorology, which by 1971 had evolved into the present CHy. Thanks to these key decisions, surface and ground water monitoring and quality controls have enabled WMO to issue authoritative warnings against dwindling water supplies, especially in view of mounting population pressure and water pollution, while WMO integrated water resources management is showing the way to optimize the exploitation of our limited fresh water resources.


在第二次世界氣象大會（1955年）至第三次世界氣象大會（1959年）期間形成的決議將水文學納入了WMO的范疇。后者設(shè)立了水文氣象學委員會，到1971年演變?yōu)榻裉斓乃膶W委員會。由于這些重要決定，對地表水和地下水的監(jiān)測和質(zhì)量控制已使WMO具備了發(fā)布權(quán)威預(yù)警的能力，以應(yīng)對供水日益減少的局面，特別是鑒于不斷增加的人口壓力和水污染，而WMO綜合水資源管理指明了優(yōu)化開發(fā)利用有限淡水資源的方向。


It is today traditional to focus the annual World Meteorological Day celebration on a special theme and at its sixtieth session the WMO Executive Council decided that in 2010 this theme would be “the World Meteorological Organization – 60 Years of service for your safety and well-being”, a specially appropriate theme at a time when communities around the globe are striving to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, in particular concerning health, food and water security and poverty alleviation, as well as to improve their resilience in the face of recurrent natural disasters and to assist them in proactively responding to the mounting impacts of climate variability and change.


今天是按傳統(tǒng)一年一度根據(jù)一個特定主題慶祝世界氣象日的一天，WMO執(zhí)行理事會第六十次屆會決定2010年世界氣象日的主題為“世界氣象組織--致力于人類安全和福祉的六十年”。正當國際社會努力實現(xiàn)聯(lián)合國千年發(fā)展目標時，尤其是在人類健康，糧食和水安全以及減少貧困方面，提高其應(yīng)對頻繁發(fā)生的自然災(zāi)害的承受能力并幫助其提前應(yīng)對不斷加大的氣候變率和變化的影響時，該主題恰如其分。


Several other WMO programmes and activities have provided exceptional examples during these six decades of the socioeconomic benefits that can be achieved by many sectors through cooperation in meteorology, especially in terms of human safety and well-being.? Obvious examples include agriculture and food security, health, transportation, tourism, construction and energy, among others. It might be impractical and even inequitable to give credit to all of them in this short message, so they are considered far more fittingly in the 2010 World Meteorological Day booklet “World Meteorological Organization – 60 years of service for your safety and well-being”.


許多部門或行業(yè)通過氣象合作，特別是在人類安全與福祉方面的合作能夠取得社會經(jīng)濟效益，六十年來，WMO的其它一些計劃和活動樹立了特殊范例。其中突出的范例包括在農(nóng)業(yè)與糧食安全、衛(wèi)生、交通運輸、旅游、建筑和能源等領(lǐng)域。以此簡短獻詞評價所有這些領(lǐng)域或許既不現(xiàn)實，也有失公正。因此，更為妥當?shù)淖龇ㄊ窃?010年世界氣象日的題為“世界氣象組織--致力于人類安全和福祉的六十年”小冊子中一一予以考慮。


The new booklet is also a renewed effort to preserve WMO history for future generations.? I am indeed confident that the theme of World Meteorological Day 2010: “the World Meteorological Organization – 60 Years of service for your safety and well-being” will contribute to further engage all WMO Members and partners, for which I wish to congratulate them wholeheartedly.


這個新的小冊子也在努力將WMO的歷史留存于后世。我確信，2010年世界氣象日的主題“世界氣象組織--致力于人類安全和福祉的六十年”將為WMO各會員和合作伙伴的進一步參與做出貢獻，為此，我謹向他們表示衷心的祝賀。


I also would like to recall that Heads of State and Government, Ministers and senior government officials of 160 countries, participating from 31 August to 4 September 2009 in the High-level Segment of World Climate Conference-3 (WCC-3), unanimously agreed to establish a Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) to strengthen the provision and use of climate predictions, products and information worldwide.


我謹在此回顧這樣一個事實，2009年8月31日至9月4日出席第三次世界氣候大會（WCC-3）高層會議的160位國家元首和政府首腦、部長和高級官員一致同意建立全球氣候服務(wù)框架（GFCS），以加強在全球范圍內(nèi)提供和應(yīng)用氣候預(yù)測、產(chǎn)品和信息。


This GFCS will be crucial to support climate change-resilient societies. Through strengthened observations, research and information, as well as novel interaction mechanisms between climate information users and providers, the Framework will ensure that all societal sectors have user-friendly climate products enabling them to better plan ahead in the face of a changing climate.


全球氣候服務(wù)框架的重要性在于，它將為承受氣候變化的各國社會提供支持。通過加強化觀測、研究和完善信息，以及通過在氣候信息用戶與提供方之間建立創(chuàng)新的互動機制，全球氣候服務(wù)框架將確保社會各部門或行業(yè)通過用戶友好界面獲得氣候產(chǎn)品，以使他們能夠為應(yīng)對不斷變化的氣候提前做出更好的規(guī)劃。


I am convinced that through this initiative and others that will follow, WMO will be even more relevant in serving humanity over decades to come.? For this capability we are all in debt to successive generations of meteorologists and hydrologists from all countries.? To all of them we pay tribute on the occasion of the 2010 World Meteorological Day.


我深信，通過此次活動以及其它后續(xù)活動，WMO在未來幾十年將為人類提供更加貼切的服務(wù)。我們具備這種能力歸功于各國幾代氣象工作者和水文工作者的努力。值此2010年世界氣象日之際，我們謹向他們致敬。