International Bureau of Weights and Measures

The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (Bureau international des poids et mesures, in French), is an international standards organisation, one of three such organisations established to maintain the International System of Units (SI) under the terms of the Convention du Mètre (Metre Convention). The organization is usually referred to by its French abbreviation, BIPM.

It is based at the Pavillon de Breteuil in Sèvres, France, where it enjoys extraterritorial status. As such, it escaped German occupation during World War II.

The BIPM helps to ensure uniformity of SI weights and measures around the world. It does this with the authority of the Convention du Mètre, a diplomatic treaty between fifty-one nations (as of 2005), and it operates through a series of Consultative Committees, whose members are the national metrology laboratories of the Member States of the Convention, and through its own laboratory work.

The BIPM carries out measurement-related research. It takes part in, and organises, international comparisons of national measurement standards, and it carries out calibrations for member states.

The BIPM has an important role in maintaining accurate worldwide time of day. It combines, analyzes, and averages the official atomic time standards of member nations around the world to create a single, official Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

The other organisations which maintain the SI system are the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM, Conférence générale des poids et mesures) and the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM, Comité international des poids et mesures)

## See also

[edit | edit source]

* Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM)
* International System of Units (SI)
* International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
* National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
* Coordinated Universal Time

## External links

[edit | edit source]

* BIPM website

bs:Međunarodni biro za tegove i mjere br:Burev Etrebroadel ar Pouezioù hag ar Muzulioù bg:Международно бюро за мерки и теглилки da:Bureau International des Poids et Mesures de:Internationales Büro für Maß und Gewicht eo:Buroo Internacia pri Pezoj kaj Mezuroj id:Bureau International des Poids et Mesures it:Bureau International des Poids et Mesures he:הלשכה הבינלאומית למידות ולמשקלות sw:Ofisi ya Kimataifa ya Vipimo ms:Biro Timbangan dan Ukuran Antarabangsa nl:Bureau International des Poids et Mesures sr:Међународни биро за тегове и мере sh:Međunarodni biro za težine i mere sv:Internationella byrån för mått och vikt Template:WH Template:WS