20 May: World Metrology Day celebrated

May 21, 2019

The World Metrology Day is observed every year on 20 May, which commemorates anniversary of signing of Metre Convention in 1875.

Background: The day commemorates anniversary of signing of the international treaty called Metre Convention in Paris on 20 May 1875, by which International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) was created. The Convention set the framework for global collaboration in field of science and measurement as well as in its commercial, societal and industrial applications.
Metrology: means ‘the science of measurement’.
The Metre Convention: also called ‘Treaty of the Metre’ provides the basis for a global coherent measurement system which encourages scientific discovery and innovation, international trade, industrial manufacturing and also improvement of quality of life and protection of global environment.

The theme for WMD 2019 was “The International System of Units – Fundamentally better.” This theme was chosen because in 16 November 2018, the General Conference on Weights and Measures agreed to one of the most significant revisions to International System of Units (the SI) since its inception.
The Research into new measurement methods, including those using quantum phenomena, justifies the change made.
The International System of Units (SI) is now based on a set of definitions each linked to laws of physics and have advantage of being able to accept further improvements in measurement science and technology (S&T) to meet needs of future users for coming years.