Resolution 4 of the 24th CGPM (2011)

On the status of Associate State of the General Conference

The General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM), at its 24th meeting,

recalling

• Resolution 3 adopted by the CGPM at its 21st meeting in 1999,
• Resolution 5 adopted by the CGPM at its 23rd meeting in 2007,

considering

• the growing participation of Associate States of the CGPM in the work carried out under the Metre Convention,
• the scientific and economic benefits gained by Associate States, in particular from their participation in the Mutual Recognition Arrangement of National Measurement Standards and of Calibration and Measurement Certificates issued by National Metrology Institutes (CIPM MRA) and from some services of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) that the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) made available to them,
• the increasing effective costs for the States Parties to the Metre Convention of these benefits for the Associate States,
• that the status of Associate State could constitute a first step to accede to the Metre Convention,

noting

• the decisions made by the CIPM at its 98th and 99th sessions, adopting the following criteria enabling it to review whether it would be appropriate for an Associate State to become a State Party to the Metre Convention:
  • Signature of the CIPM MRA by the Associate State's National Metrology Institute,
  • Publication of comparison results in the key comparison database (KCDB),
  • Having one or more Calibration and Measurement Capability (CMC) listed in the KCDB,

decides that

• during an initial 5-year period following the accession to the status of Associate of the CGPM, Associate States shall pay an annual subscription determined from their contributions to the United Nations Organisation, as for States Parties to the Metre Convention, with a minimum equal to 0.1 % of the annual dotation of the BIPM,
• this decision will be applicable to current Associate States for the calculation of their subscription starting for the year 2013,
• after the above-mentioned initial 5-year period, if the CIPM considers, on the basis of the criteria it adopted, that it would be appropriate for an Associate State to become a State Party to the Metre Convention, the amount of subscription for such an Associate will be progressively and irreversibly increased each year so that it reaches, in five years, an amount equivalent to 90 % of the annual contribution it would pay as a State Party to the Metre Convention,
• this progressive and irreversible increase will be applicable starting on the 1st January of the second year following the CIPM decision to encourage an Associate State to become a State Party to the Metre Convention,
• the CIPM review of the situation of Associate States in 2011 will be used in application of the present Resolution and that the first increase of the subscriptions will become effective in 2013,
• such increase will not apply to Associate States whose annual subscription is already equal to the contribution they would pay as a State Party to the Metre Convention,
• as long as an Associate State does not fulfil the above-mentioned criteria to be encouraged to become a State Party to the Metre Convention, it will continue to benefit from the advantages of the Associate Status, as provided for in Resolution 3 adopted by the CGPM at its 21st meeting (1999), and from the BIPM services that the CIPM made available to them, and its subscription will continue to be determined as during the initial 5-year period,

invites

all Associate States, whether fulfilling or not the criteria adopted by the CIPM to encourage Associate States to become States Parties to the Metre Convention, to accede to the Metre Convention as such accession can only be beneficial for the strengthening of the world's measurement system.

DOI : 10.59161/CGPM2011RES4E