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17 September  2019 
(19-5953) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
ACTIVITIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL BUREAU  OF WEIGHTS AND MEAS URES (BIPM) 
RELATED TO THE WORK OF THE WTO TBT COMMI TTEE  
INFORMATION PROVIDED  BY BIPM  
This document contains information provided by BIPM at the TBT Committee meeting of 
20-21 June 2019 under Agenda Item 5 (Observers).  
 
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1  REVISION OF THE SI  
1.1.  The worldwide metrology system provides a vital underpinning for the WTO mission.  
1.2.  Member States voted on 16 November 2018 during live  open session of the 26th meeting of 
the CGPM held in Versailles, France, to revise the International System of Units, the SI - the 
recommended practical system of units of measurement , changing the world's definition of the 
kilogram, the ampere, the kelvi n and the mole in terms of constants.  
1.3.  Pursuant to Resolution 1  adopted by the CGPM at its 26th meeting (2018) all SI units from 
20 May 2019 are defined in terms of constants that describe the natural w orld. This will assure the 
future stability and universality of the SI and open the opportunity for the use of new technologies, 
including quantum technologies, to implement the definitions.  
1.4.  The SI is defined by the SI Brochure and its 9th edition was pub lished by the BIPM on 
20 May 2019.  
1.5.  Measurement uncertainty targets have been set so that redefinition of the units should not 
impact trade issues.  
2  THE CIPM  
2.1.  On 20 -21 March 2019 the 108th meeting of the CIPM, governing body of the BIPM was the first 
to be held following the 26th meeting of the CGPM in November 2018, at which all 18 CIPM members 
were elected. Six of those elected participated in the CIPM for the first time. This meeting also 
marked the retirement of six CIPM members who did not stand for re -election. In addition, members 
of the new CIPM bureau (President, Secretary, First Vice President and Second Vice President) were 
elected.  
3  BIPM LIAISON AND COO RDINATION WORK  
3.1  Liaison with Member States and Associates of the CGPM  
3.1.  As of November 2018 the BIPM had 59 Member States, and 42 Associate States and Economies 
of the CGPM. The BIPM currently negotiates with few Associate States their transition from 
"Associate " status to "Member State " status.  G/TBT/GEN/266  
 
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  3.2  Liaison with international organizations  
3.2.  Each year on 20 May, the world -wide metrology community celebrates World Metrology Day 
the day of signing of the Metre Convention in 1875. The project is run jointly by the BIPM and the 
OIML. This year's theme is "The International System of Units - Fundamentally better" with the 
poster design being supported by the Standards and Calibration Laboratory, Hong Kong, P.R. China. 
This theme was chosen because on 16 November 2018, the CGPM agreed perhaps one of the most 
significant revisions to the SI since its inception. The poster was translated into more than 
15 languages and 40 countries organized national celebration events. Please see 
http://worldmetrologyday.org  for more  information.  
3.3.  The BIPM also collaborates with a number of international organizations, to support developing 
countries through the International Network on Quality Infrastructure (INetQI) (previously known 
as DCMAS N etwork ). Its terms of reference is currently under review noting the key structural 
changes of INetQI. The World Bank Group and WTO joined INetQI in November 2018. Its  annual 
meeting was held on 4 June 2019.  
3.4.  A study describing the operation of the BIPM is  under development within the OECD initiative 
"A partnership for effective international rule -making ". Its publication is foreseen in 2019. This study 
will be complementary to a series of the OECD studies of rule -making practices of selected IOs  
developed during of 2014 -2016 FAO, IMO, ISO, OECD, OIML, UNECE and WHO.  
3.3  CIPM MRA and KCDB  
3.5.  The CIPM MRA has matured into a well -recognized pillar of the international quality 
infrastructure. After a decade and a half of successful operation, a review has been undertaken to 
ensure the sustainability of the Arrangement for the coming years (see CG PM Resolution 5, 2014). 
In respect of implementing the recommendations of the Working Group on the Implementation and 
Operation of the CIPM MRA a new database – KCDB 2.0 is being developed and the implementation 
will continue through 2019.  
4  CAPACITY BUILDI NG AND KNOWLEDGE TRA NSFER (BIPM CBKT) PR OGRAMME  
4.1.  The BIPM Capacity Building and Knowledge Transfer Programme (BIPM CBKT Programme) is 
aimed primarily at countries and economies with emerging metrology systems (CEEMS) and has 
become a great success in a sho rt space of time.  
4.2.  The programme is wholly supported by sponsors and 14 CBKT projects have been held, four 
ongoing and more are planned. So far 366 participants from 84 countries, covering all six RMOs, 
have benefited from the CBKT initiatives. 56 invited lecturers  from 27 countries supported to deliver 
the projects. At the time of writing, over 75% of Member States and Associates have participated in 
the CBKT Programme (as trainees, lecturers and sponsors).  
4.3.  These include the successfully completed regiona l courses with RMOs and new ones planned 
for 2019 to develop the NMIs skills to help them participate in the mechanisms of the CIPM MRA.  
4.4.  The BIPM and the Italian Physical Society are planning to run a joint Metrology School "New 
frontiers for metrology: f rom biology and chemistry to quantum and data science" in Varenna (Italy), 
during the summer of 2019.  
4.5.  From the current laboratory -based  courses from the ongoing laboratory based CBKT project 
"Metrology for Safe Food and Feed in Developing Economies" that is designed to allow NMIs to work 
together to strengthen mycotoxin metrology infrastructure. This project will continue during the next 
Work Programme and will play an important part in addressing non -tariff trade issues by ensuring 
participating countries  are able to address the very strict mycotoxin limits set by many developed 
countries.  
4.6.  For detailed information on other CBKT events planned for 2019, please see the dedicated 
webpage http://www.bipm.org/en/cbk t/.  G/TBT/GEN/266  
 
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  4.7.  The registration for the 19th International Metrology Congress and Measurement World  to be 
held in Paris, from 24 to 26 September 2019 is now open. The congress includes a diverse conference 
programme which is complemented by round table sessions and keynote talks dedicated to key 
societal and metrological challenges. Early bird deadline for registration is 30 June 2019.  
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