by Richard Fertell
Volume 16:3, Jul-Sep 2009
The Meter Convention (Convention du Mètre) is a treaty signed in 1875 that created the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), an international organization under the authority of the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) and the supervision of the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM). The BIPM’s mandate is to provide the basis for a single, coherent system of measurements throughout the world, traceable to the International System of Units (SI). This task takes many forms, from direct dissemination of units to coordination through international comparisons of national measurement standards I had what is perhaps a metrologist’s greatest dream — the opportunity to visit the BIPM and tour some of their prestigious laboratories.
