Renforcement de la collaboration scientifique entre le BIPM et l'UNESCO
A newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the BIPM and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) aims to contribute to advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the fields of education, science, and communication and information. The renewed partnership seeks to support shared strategic objectives, including strengthening metrology, supporting international scientific cooperation and promoting science-based decision-making.
The MoU was signed on 15 December 2025 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, by Martin Milton, Director of the BIPM, and Lidia Brito, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO for Natural Sciences. It updates and replaces the previous agreement signed in 1949 between UNESCO and the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM), the BIPM’s non-plenary and executive body.
The BIPM and UNESCO, in line with their current strategic interests and shared priorities, will collaborate to promote and support mutually beneficial capacity-building activities, particularly in the areas of gender equality and youth engagement in basic sciences and engineering. The agreement reinforces a common commitment to inclusive scientific development and the global exchange of expertise.
Background
The BIPM and UNESCO have cooperated since 1949 to facilitate effective dissemination of information on the importance of quality infrastructure — and particularly metrology — in scientific, educational and societal contexts.
World Metrology Day was established in 1999 by the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) to commemorate the signing of the Metre Convention, the international diplomatic treaty signed on 20 May 1875 in Paris. Observed annually on 20 May, it raises global awareness of the importance of measurement science and its impact on economic development, innovation, public policy and international collaboration.
UNESCO celebrated World Metrology Day for the first time in 2024, following the decision of its 42nd General Conference in 2023 to proclaim 20 May of every year World Metrology Day.
Most recently, the 2025 World Metrology Day marked the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Metre Convention — the treaty that created the BIPM, one of the oldest scientific international organizations in the world, and established the foundation for a unified and continually evolving international measurement system. To mark this historic milestone, BIPM and UNESCO hosted a joint symposium at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 20 May 2025.
The BIPM and UNESCO will continue to collaborate on World Metrology Day, providing a shared platform for raising awareness of measurement science and exchanging ideas and best practices across our communities. The theme for the next World Metrology Day will be announced in early 2026. Subscribe to BIPM eNews to be the first to hear about it.