Bureau International de Poids et Mesures (BIPM)
International Bureau of Weights and Measures
The BIPM is an intergovernmental organization established by the Metre Convention, through which Member States act together on matters related to measurement science and measurement standards. The mission of the BIPM is to work with the NMIs of its Member States, regional metrological organizations (RMOs) and strategic partners worldwide as well as to use its international status to promote and advance the global comparability of measurements, including providing a coherent international system of. The objectives of the BIPM are:
- to be the coordinator of the world-wide measurement system, ensuring it provides comparable and internationally accepted measurement results.
- to represent the world-wide measurement community, aiming to maximize its uptake and impact, and
- to be a center for scientific and technical cooperation between Member States, providing capabilities for international measurement comparisons on a shared-cost basis.
- Fulfilling this mission and the objectives of the BIPM is underpinned by its work in:
- capacity building, which aims to achieve a global balance between the metrology capabilities in Member States, and
- knowledge transfer, which ensures that the BIPM’s work has the greatest impact.
- In 1999 the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) recognized that many developing countries were not yet ready to accede to the Metre Convention and become Member States of the BIPM. Consequently it created a new status of ‘Associate State’ to allow such countries to participate in the CIPM MRA, and as a stepping stone to becoming Member States.
