Regional Climate Centres (RCCs) are designed to assist WMO Members in a given region to deliver better climate services and products including regional long-range forecasts, and to strengthen their capacity to meet national climate information needs. The primary "clients" of a RCC are National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and other RCCs in a region and in neighbouring areas. RCC responsibilities are regional by nature and not duplicate or replace services provided by NMHSs. RCCs serve the regional level of a three-level (climate-related) infrastructure: Global Producing Centres (GPCs, global level), Regional Climate Centres (RCCs, regional level), National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs, national level).

The RCC-related amendments to the WMO Manual on the GDPFS, as adopted by CBS-XIV, provide the reference documentation. According to the Manual on the GDPFS, "a group of centres performing climate-related activities that collectively fulfil all the required functions of an RCC may be designated by WMO as ‚WMO Regional Climate Centre Network. Each centre in a designated WMO RCC Network will be referred to as a "node". A node will perform, for the Region or sub-region defined by the Regional Association, one or several of the mandatory RCC activities".

RA VI- XIV reiterated the Region’s intend to implement a RCC network rather than one or several multifunctional centres. The nodes of the RA VI RCC Network are composed of consortia, hosted by respective lead institutions. This approach has been chosen to ensure incorporation of as much competence and know-how as possible of the 50 RA VI Members.