Namespace Registration for World Meteorological Organization

Namespace Identifier:  wmo

Version:  1

Date:  2025-06-04

Registrant: 

   World Meteorological Organization
   7bis, avenue de la Paix, Case postale No. 2300 ·
   1211 Geneva Switzerland
   https://wmo.int/

Registrant Contact:

   Anna Milan
   wis&wmo.int

Purpose:

The wmo NID will be used to identify resources as part of public 
international data and metadata exchange activities, infrastructures, 
and systems of the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO).  The wmo 
NID will help WMO Members and others identify, process, and interpret 
the semantics of the WMO resources.

Syntax: 

Defined schemas will be identified by the wmo NID and will include other 
attributes that are encoded in IRA T.50 without spaces, semicolons, or 
accented characters.

The syntax of wmo NID-based URNs has the following structure:

urn:wmo:{resource-type}:{centre-id}:{local-id}

Where:

  - The "resource-type" is the information type in scope (for example, 
    "md" for metadata-based resources)
  - The "centre-id" is the centre identifier, and they are available at 
    https://codes.wmo.int/wis/topic-hierarchy/centre-id
  - The "local-identifier" is a local identifier to be determined by the 
    WMO Member providing the resource

Currently, only the "md" NSS is defined.  The requirements and syntax 
for discovery metadata identifiers are specified by the WMO Core 
Metadata Profile (Version 2), available in the Manual on the WMO 
Information System (WMO-No. 1060), Volume II - Appendix F 
(https://library.wmo.int/idurl/4/68731).  Future NSS values will be 
defined as required by WMO.

Examples of WCMP2 discovery metadata identifiers:

  - urn:wmo:md:ca-eccc-msc:weather.observations.swob-realtime
  - urn:wmo:md:de-dwd:icon-eps.ALL
  - urn:wmo:md:fr-meteofrance-global-broker:gb

Assignment: 

The process for assigning wmo URN identifiers for discovery metadata is 
bound to WMO Member and Secretariat information management processes, as 
per below (processes for other NSS are to be determined at a later time).

The "resource-type" NSS is managed by the WMO Secretariat.

The "centre-id" is managed by the WMO Secretariat.  Codes are proposed 
and approved during the WMO Member registration process for data, 
metadata, and service publications.

The "local-identifier" is managed by the WMO Member.

Security and Privacy: 

No security or privacy issues are foreseen at this time.

Interoperability: 

No interoperability issues are foreseen at this time, as there are 
currently no issues of confusion with related activities or systems.

Resolution: 

A resolution service is not planned as of mid-2025; however, it is 
being discussed and evaluated for future capability.

Documentation: 

The requirements and syntax for discovery metadata identifiers are 
specified by the WMO Core Metadata Profile (Version 2), available in the 
Manual on the WMO Information System (WMO-No. 1060), Volume II - 
Appendix F (https://library.wmo.int/idurl/4/68731).

Additional Information: 

Key documents can be found at the following locations:

  - Manual on the WMO Information System, Volume II - WMO Information System 2.0
    https://library.wmo.int/records/item/68731-manual-on-the-wmo-information-system-volume-ii-wmo-information-system-2-0

  - Guide to the WMO Information System Volume II - WMO Information System 2.0
    https://library.wmo.int/records/item/69130-guide-to-the-wmo-information-system-volume-ii

  - Provisions for the Transition from the WMO Information System (WIS) 1.0 and Global Telecommunication System to WIS 2.0
    https://library.wmo.int/records/item/69050-provisions-for-the-transition-from-the-wmo-information-system-wis-1-0-and-global-telecommunication-system-to-wis-2-0

  - WMO Unified Data Policy for the International Exchange of Earth System Data (Resolution 1 (Cg-Ext(2021)))
    https://library.wmo.int/viewer/57850?viewer=picture#page=15&viewer=picture&o=bookmark&n=0&q=