After much preparation, our partner country Morocco joined the Metre Convention this year and therefore became one of the 60 Member States of the Bureau International des Poids et Mésures (BIPM) as of 24 May 2019. The Moroccan metrology system’s journey to this milestone was supported by the long-standing cooperation of PTB with Moroccan partner institutions within the regional project “Promotion of metrology in Maghreb to strengthen international trade”. The project is currently in its third phase of implementation.

 

Since 1875, the countries incorporated in the Metre Convention have endeavored with great success to enforce the metric system worldwide. The organs of the Metre Convention have different tasks: every four years, the delegates of all Member States meet to hold the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM). This decides on the proposals of the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) as well as on those of the individual Consultative Committees. The executive organ is the International Bureau of Weights and Measures which has its seat in Sèvres near Paris and is a scientific institute, maintaining the international standards for the physical quantities. It also works on the permanent development of these standards within the framework of its metrological fundamental research. PTB President Joachim Ullrich is a member of the International Committee for Weights and Measures and the President of the Consultative Committee for Units.

Since the ratification of the international Metre Convention, more and more countries have signed the Convention and have thus become members of the BIPM – as of now, there are 60 Member States and 42 Associated States.

New and exciting opportunities are opening up for the Moroccan metrology system now that it is a member. Our partners at the national metrology institute LPEE-LNM (Laboratoire Public d’Essais et d’Etudes – Laboratoire National de Métrologie) signed the multilateral CIPM-MRA agreement on 15 July at the BIPM in Paris. This allows the institute to have its own Calibration and Measurement Capabilities (CMCs) recognized at the international level. This is a further important step for the national metrology institute because it will be able to prove the equivalency of its services, for example, of its calibrations, with international standards. Congratulations from us for achieving this milestone!