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RMO toolbox Member States and Associates

Member States and Associates

To participate in the activities of the BIPM, a State may choose to become either a:

  • Member State1 has a significant engagement in, and influence on, the world metrology system. All States are able to accede to the Metre Convention. To become a State Party to the Metre Convention, a State must notify its national decision to accede to the Metre Convention to the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. New Member States pay their first annual contribution plus a one-off entrance contribution (currently equal to the amount of the first annual contribution).

    Member States (English)

    États Membres (French)

  • Associate State of the CGPM2 can participate in the CIPM MRA, and become part of the world metrology system at lower costs. In 1999 the status of “Associate of the CGPM” was created, open to States and Economies without well-established national metrology systems, to enable such States and Economies to participate in the CIPM MRA. A State wishing to become an Associate may do so by application to the Director of the BIPM, and by the payment of the first annual subscription.

    Associates (English)

    Associés (French)

1The term "Member State" is a synonym for the official term "State Party to the Metre Convention".

2Generally speaking, "Associate State" status is seen as the first step to becoming a Member State.

 

There has been considerable success, particularly over the last two decades since the launch of the CIPM MRA, in expanding participation, with the number of States that have acceded to the Metre Convention increasing from 48 in 1999 to 64.

The establishment of the status of Associate State of the CGPM in 1999, which enables participation by States that are not yet ready to become Member States or by Economies, has been an effective mechanism for increasing national involvement in the international metrology community and constitutes a step towards accession to the Metre Convention.

Currently (September 2023), the BIPM has 64 Member States and 36 Associates (33 Associate States and 3 Associate Economies); that is 108 of the 193 States listed by the UN as Member States (CARICOM, one of the Economies participating in the BIPM as an Associate, having 11 participating states).

The General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM), the plenary organ of the BIPM, at its 27th meeting held in November 2022, recognizing that a significant number of States (September 2023), 85 UN Member States)) still do not participate in the activities of the BIPM either as a Member State or an Associate State, mandated the concept of “universality” and invited the CIPM:

  • to review the membership practices of other international organizations,
  • to examine the current application of Article III of the Metre Convention and report to the CGPM at its 28th meeting on how this Article might be applied in order to facilitate lasting and universal adherence to the Convention,
  • to consider the implications of wider participation in the work programme and services of the BIPM,
  • to propose appropriate actions for consideration by the CGPM at its 28th meeting.

Contact

Contacts

Dr Anna Cypionka

International Liaison and Communication

Mrs Rahima Guliyeva

International Liaison and Communication