The headquarters of World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is located at
- (a)Switzerland
- (b)Scotland
- (c)South Africa
- (d)Italy
Correct — A, Switzerland. The World Meteorological Organization is a specialised agency of the United Nations with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Geneva hosts a cluster of UN and international bodies, and the WMO — which coordinates weather, climate and water services among its member states and traces its roots to the older International Meteorological Organization — is one of them. The question asks for the country, and that country is Switzerland.
- (b)Scotland — Scotland is a nation of the United Kingdom, not a seat of the WMO. No principal UN specialised agency is headquartered there; the WMO's home is Geneva, Switzerland.
- (c)South Africa — South Africa hosts no WMO headquarters. It has a national meteorological service, but the global body sits in Geneva.
- (d)Italy — Italy hosts UN food-related agencies in Rome (FAO, WFP, IFAD), but not the WMO, which is in Geneva, Switzerland.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is the United Nations' specialised agency for weather, climate and the state of water resources. It sets standards for observation and forecasting, coordinates data-sharing between national weather services, and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
Geneva is a hub for many international organisations, so the trick to these headquarters questions is to remember which city, and therefore country, houses each agency. As of the September 2025 exam the WMO's seat remained Geneva, Switzerland; the distractor countries either host different agencies (Italy — Rome food agencies) or none of note (Scotland, South Africa).
- The WMO is a specialised agency of the United Nations, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
- It grew out of the International Meteorological Organization and became a UN agency in 1951.
- The WMO coordinates weather, climate and water-resource services among its member states.
- Geneva also hosts the WHO, ILO, ITU and the offices of many other international bodies.
Only Switzerland (Geneva) houses the World Meteorological Organization, so the answer is (a).
- The option lists Switzerland, not the city Geneva — read whether the question wants the city or the country.
- Do not confuse Geneva-based agencies (WMO, WHO, ILO) with Rome-based food agencies (FAO, WFP) or Vienna-based ones (IAEA).
Asked to name the city or country hosting an international organisation, or to match agencies with their headquarters.
Match List I (Organisation) with List II (Headquarters): A. International Atomic Energy Agency B. International Telecommunication Union C. Council of the European Union D. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development; 1. Brussels 2. Geneva 3. Paris 4. Vienna
- (a) A-1 B-2 C-4 D-3
- (b) A-1 B-3 C-4 D-2
- (c) A-1 B-3 C-4 D-2
- (d) A-4 B-2 C-1 D-3
Answer(d) A-4 B-2 C-1 D-3 — IAEA in Vienna, ITU in Geneva, Council of the EU in Brussels, OECD in Paris.
The same skill of matching international organisations to their headquarters cities, including Geneva — where the WMO of Q132 also sits.
- practice — not a real PYQ
In which city is the headquarters of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) located?
- (a)Geneva
- (b)Rome
- (c)Vienna
- (d)Nairobi
Answer(a) Geneva — the WMO, a UN specialised agency, is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which one of the following United Nations agencies is NOT headquartered in Geneva?
- (a)World Health Organization
- (b)International Labour Organization
- (c)World Meteorological Organization
- (d)Food and Agriculture Organization
Answer(d) Food and Agriculture Organization — the FAO is headquartered in Rome; the other three are in Geneva.