Participation in the mechanism is open to all donors that support, through financial or in-kind contributions, improvements in global observing systems for climate in developing countries. All donors are invited to be members of the GCM Donor Board, which is advised by the GCOS Steering Committee and scientific panels.
The Donor Board meets at least once a year, typically in association with a concurrent meeting, e.g., of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice. Donors may designate how they wish their funds to be used or donate funds to a common pool to be used on priority projects selected by the Donor Board. A Project Officer identifies, manages and oversees the individual GCM projects.
This mechanism provides independence from other intergovernmental processes, including those related to the UNFCCC, while assisting in achieving the objectives of the UNFCCC and GCOS. The GCM garantees fully open and transparent accounting of all in-kind and actual expenditures.
"What is urgently needed is a commitment by nations to provide global coverage for the key variables, to halt and reverse the degradation of existing observing systems, and to exchange information more effectively… A positive response to this challenge would significantly advance the implementation of an effective observing system for climate and support the objectives of the UNFCCC." Report on the Adequacy of GCOS, 1998