Recommendation 4 of the 18th CCTF (2009)

Concerning adoption of a common terrestrial reference system by the CGPM

The Consultative Committee for Time and Frequency,

considering that

• at present there exist only a few global satellite navigation systems, but that new ones are being created and in the future there may be many more;
• the various time and geodesy reference systems in use in these navigation systems give rise to additional ambiguities with regard to the interpretation of navigation and timing solutions and makes interoperability between the systems more difficult;
• although use of international terrestrial reference system (ITRS) is recommended by relevant scientific unions, it has not yet been adopted by an intergovernmental organization;
• such an adoption by the appropriate intergovernmental organization would benefit users in terms of unifying navigation and timing solutions and facilitating systems interoperability;

noting that

one of the key factors that led to the creation of the Metre Convention and the BIPM was the recommendation of the Second International Conference on Geodesy for the Measurement of Degrees in Europe, held in Berlin in 1867, that a European international bureau of weights and measures be set up in order to unify European geodesy standards;

recommends that

after agreement with the relevant scientific unions, the Director of the BIPM formally discuss with the CIPM the steps that must be taken such that the 24th CGPM be asked to adopt the ITRS, as defined by the IUGG and realized by the IERS and IGS, as the international standard for terrestrial reference frames used for all metrological applications.

DOI : 10.59161/CCTF2009REC4E