The
International Committee for Weights and Measures (abbreviated
CIPM from the French
Comité international des poids et mesures) consists of eighteen persons from Member States of the
Metre Convention (
Convention du Mètre) appointed by the
General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) whose principal task is to ensure world-wide uniformity in
units of measurement by direct action or by submitting proposals to the CGPM.