[note 1] The BIPM is overseen by the International Committee for Weights and Measures (French: Comité international des poids et mesures, CIPM), a committee of eighteen members that meet normally in two sessions per year,[4] which is in turn overseen by the General Conference on Weights and Measures (French: Conférence générale des poids et mesures, CGPM) that meets in Paris usually once every four years, consisting of delegates of the governments of the Member States[5][6] and observers from the Associates of the CGPM.

Since 1969 the site has been considered international territory, and the BIPM has all the rights and privileges accorded to an intergovernmental organisation.

At this council, it was decided that world standard for the units of kilograms, seconds, amperes, Kelvins, moles, candelas, and meters would be redefined to reflect constants in nature.

[11] Beginning in 1970, the BIPM began publishing the SI Brochure, a document detailing an up-to-date version of the International System of Units.

This task takes many forms, from direct dissemination of units to coordination through international comparisons of national measurement standards (as in electricity and ionising radiation).