The comprehensive report on the adequacy of the global observing systems which follows responds to a request by the Conference of the Parties (COP) at its third session to the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), to consider the adequacy of observational systems and to report on its conclusions to the COP at its fourth session
(FCCC/CP/1997/7/Add.1, decision 8/CP.3). It was coordinated by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Secretariat in the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), on behalf of the organizations participating in the Climate Agenda. In accordance with the procedure for miscellaneous documents, the report is reproduced in the language in which it was received and without formal editing. The report should be read together with its executive summary (FCCC/CP/1998/7), which also puts forward some possible actions the SBSTA may wish to consider on this
matter