Bureau international des poids et mesures

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The Bureau interntional des poids et mesures (BIPM, sometimes referred to in English as the International Bureau of Weights and Measures) is an international organization based in Sèvres, just outside Paris, France. It was established in 1875 by the Metre Convention to conserve the new international prototypes of the metre and the kilogram and to arrange for comparison of national standards: in its modern role, it acts as an international version of a national measurement laboratory (such as the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) in United States or the National Physical Laboratory in the United Kingdom).

Functions

The BIPM defines its functions as:[1]

  • establishing fundamental standards and scales for the measurement of the principal physical quantities and maintaining the international prototypes;
  • carrying out comparisons of national and international standards;
  • ensuring the coordination of corresponding measurement techniques;
  • carrying out and coordinating measurements of the fundamental physical constants relevant to these activities.

Status and structure

The BIPM has a status similar to that of other international organizations.[Note 1] The ultimate governing body is the Conférence générale des poids et mesures (CGPM), a diplomatic conference which currently meets once every four years. The CGPM elects the eighteen members of the Comité international des poids et mesures (CIPM), which oversees the general functioning of the BIPM and approves its annual budget (among other functions). The BIPM itself is headed by a director, and has about 70 full-time staff,[1] with an annual budget of about €13 million (2010).[2]

Directors of the BIPM

Name Nationality
1875–1877 G. Govi Italy
1877–1879 J. Pernet Switzerland
1879–1889 O. J. Broch Norway
1889–1915 J.-R. Benoît France
1915–1936 C.-E. Guillaume Switzerland
1936–1951 A. Pérard France
1951–1961 C. Volet Switzerland
1962–1977 J. Terrien France
1978–1988 P. Giacomo France
1988–2003 T. J. Quinn United Kingdom
2004– A. J. Wallard United Kingdom
Source: BIPM[3]

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ↑ The status of the BIPM with respect to France is governed by Décret n° 70-820 du 9 septembre 1970 portant publication de l’accord entre le Gouvernement de la République française et le comité international des poids et mesures, relatif au siège du Bureau international des poids et mesures et à ses privilèges et immunités sur le territoire français du 25 avril 1969 (JO du 18 septembre 1970), and an agreement of 7 June 2005 and an exchange of letters on 6 & 23 July 2007 (ratified by the Law n° 2008-738 du 28 juillet 2008, JO du 30 juillet 2008).

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Director’s Report on the Activity and Management of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; International Bureau of Weights and Measures, 2009; p 181, <http://www.bipm.org/utils/en/pdf/DIR2009-EN.pdf>.
  2. ↑ Proceedings of the 23rd meeting of the General Conference on Weights and Measures; International Bureau of Weights and Measures, 2007; p 520, <http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/pdf/CGPM23.pdf>.
  3. ↑ Directors of the BIPM since 1875; International Bureau of Weights and Measures, <http://www.bipm.org/en/bipm/sections/director/former_directors.html>. (accessed 15 August 2010).

External links

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