CHAPTER 1. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES.

Article 1.1.- The idea of an interamerican metrology program had been promoted by many countries and organizations from the early nineteen seventies. In 1971, the need of cooperation in metrology in The Americas was emphasized during the Conference on Applications of Science and Technology in Latin America, held in Brasilia, Brazil. The fourth meeting of the Interamerican Council for Education, Science and Culture (Consejo Interamericano para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura, CIECC), in Mar del Plata, Argentina, in 1972, adopted resolution 174, establishing a regional system for metrology and calibration (Sistema Interamericano de Metrología y Calibración, SIMYC). In 1974, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the National Bureau of Standards (NBS, now National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST, USA) organized an international meeting on industrialization and standardization in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where regional metrology needs were discussed. The OAS, through its former Departamento de Asuntos Científicos y Tecnológicos, DACYT, convened a meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Industrial (INTI), in 1975, to design a special project in the field of metrology, focusing on scientific, industrial and legal metrology. In 1979, as part of the special project on metrology the Interamerican Metrology System (SIM) was created, consisting of thirteen Latin American countries. Many institutions as Instituto di Metrologia "Gustavo Colonnetti" (IMGC, Italy), Instituto Elettrotecnico Nazionale Galileo Ferraris (IEN, Italy), NBS, Physikalish-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB, Germany) were of great help for the creation of SIM. The long-standing support of PTB to many metrology institutions in Latin America through its technical cooperation program, has been beneficial in the formation and development of SIM. In 1992 PTB organized together with the Centro Español de Metrologia (CEM, Spain), and the Instituto Portugues da Qualidade (IPQ, Portugal) a meeting for constructing a metrology system, conceived at that time as Sistema Iberoamericano de Metrologia. Also in 1992, during a SIM General Asembly meeting, the OAS and NIST were invited to help in reconstructing SIM as Sistema Interamericano de Metrologia. Thus, in 1993 and 1994, these two organizations, with support from the US Department of State and the National Metrology Center of Mexico (CENAM), organized three regional metrology workshops in Caracas, Venezuela, Buenos Aires, Argentina and San José, Costa Rica, with participation of representatives from the government, scientific and industrial sectors in each country. The OAS and NIST also organized specialized courses and granted fellowships for a Flow Metrology course in Quito, Ecuador and the Caribbean Measurement Assurance Program, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. During the Summit of the Americas, held in December, 1994, in Miami, Florida, the Presidents of the Americas issued a Declaration of Principles, emphasizing economic integration and free trade, through reduction of technical barriers and promotion of technical cooperation programs on metrology and standardization. Following this Summit, the OAS convened a coordinating meeting in Rio de Janeiro, in January, 1995, attended by 25 countries, which agreed to promote a project to reorganize and revitalize SIM.

Article 1.2.- The Objectives of SIM shall be:
a) cooperate in the development of National Metrology Institute in each country in the hemisphere;
b) contribute to the development of measurement infrastructure required to promote equity in trade;
c) foster competitiveness and quality of the manufacturing sector in order to promote trade and commerce;
d) identify sectors and institutions that can conduct specific multinational activities in support of metrology;
e) contribute to the development of metrological infrastructure required to protect the environment and to promote the general well-being of the population, including its health and safety.

CHAPTER 2. GOALS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Article 2.1.- The Interamerican Metrology System (SIM), is a regional agreement among the National Metrology Institutes or the Institute responsible for the national standards of the member nations of the Organization of American States, whose goal is to promote international and regional cooperation, in order to contribute to the improvement of activities in the field of scientific, industrial and legal metrology. For this purpose, measures taken by the members will help to achieve the following:
a) the establishment of national and regional measurement systems;
b) the establishment of a hierarchy of the national standards of each country and their linkage with regional and international standards;
c) the compatibility of results obtained from measurement processes performed in laboratories within the system;
d) the development of competitive technical and scientific personnel;
e) the collection and distribution of technical and scientific information and documentation;
f) the linkage with the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (Bureau International des Poids et Mesures, BIPM), the International Organization for Legal Metrology (Organisation International de Metrologie Légal, OIML) and other international organizations, specialized in the area of metrology.

Article 2.2.- SIM is organized as follows:

a) General Assembly
b) President
c) Council
d) Executive Secretary
e) Technical Advisor
f) Subregional Coordinators
g) Permanent Committees
h) Technical Working Groups

Permanent committees are:
1. Technical Committee.
2. Professional Development Committee.

SIM is divided into five geographical subregions consisting of: ANDIMET, CAMET, CARIMET, NORAMET and SURAMET. The composition of the subregions and the organization of SIM are shown in Annexes A and B.

Article 2.3.- Any equipment or other goods donated to SIM for its technical activities shall belong to the Organization of American States and shall remain the responsibility of the Executive Secretary, until the OAS statutory period for equipment ownership expires. After this period OAS ownership shall be transferred to the designated NMI aproved by the SIM Council for disposal.

CHAPTER 3. MEMBERSHIP, RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS

Article 3.1.- Article 3.1.- SIM consists of Members and Participants.
Member:
The national metrology institute designated as such by the appropriate national governmental or other official authority of each OAS country
as being responsible for national measurement standards, or in its absence the organization responsible for the National Weights and Measures System. For any state that has more than one such designated institute, the membership is held by one institute on behalf of all.

Participant: The participants are divided into three categories:
a) Associate: reserved to National Metrology Institutes and other Metrology related Organizations that show evidence of active technical cooperation with at least three (3) SIM members.
b) Observer: reserved to International or Regional Organizations with technical activities in Metrology and Metrology related fields.
c) Correspondent: any non-member Institution interested in Metrology.

Article 3.2.- Members have the following rights:
a) elect and be elected as President;
b) elect and be elected as members of the Council;
c) represent their respective subregions in SIM committees;
d) serve in SIM committees, subcommittees, and working groups;
e) take part in General Assembly meetings, submitting proposals as well as having the right of speech and vote, as stated in Article 4.2;
f) represent SIM, in national, regional or international matters in accordance with the Council's instruction;
g) receive General Assembly and Council minutes;
h) have access to official SIM documents under custody of Documentation Working Group;
i) receive complementary financial support through projects funded for SIM activities.

Article 3.3- Rights of Associate Participants.
a) Attend General Assembly Meetings with the right of speech and without the right to vote.
b) Participate in technical activities with Council approval, without financial support from SIM
c) Receive information about SIM technical activities and General Assembly Meetings

Article 3.4.- Rights of Observer Participants.
a) Attend General Assembly Meetings with the right of speech and without the right to vote.
b) Receive information about SIM technical activities and General Assembly Meetings.

Article 3.5.- Rights of Correspondent Participant.
a) With prior approval from the President, attend General Assembly Meetings with the right to speech and without the right to vote.
b) Receive information about SIM technical activities and General Assembly Meetings in which they participate.

Article 3.6.- Member obligations.
a) Contribute to the objectives of SIM.
b) Comply with this Statute and with the applicable Internal Regulations.
c) Promote the adoption of General Assembly and Council resolutions with authorities in their respective countries.

Article 3.7.- Participant obligations.
a) Contribute to the objectives of SIM.
b) Comply with this Statute and with the applicable Internal Regulations.
c) Abide the decisions of SIM.

Article 3.8.- Admission of new members and participants shall require a written request, addressed to the President, and shall be endorsed by the Council and approved by the General Assembly.

CHAPTER 4. THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Article 4.1.- Article 4.1.- The General Assembly is composed of one representative of each SIM member, having only one vote each.
Article 4.2.- It is within the General Assembly's authority to:
a) elect the President Institution and the President for a two-year term (can be reelected for a second consecutive term);
b) define the policies of SIM;
c) review and amend this Statute and the Rules of Order, whenever necessary;
d) review and accept the Council reports;
e) ratify, with a vote of simple majority of the Members present, the resolutions set forth by the Council;
f) approve the admission of new members and participants with the vote of the simple majority of the Members.

Article 4.3.- The General Assembly shall:
a) meet normally every year;
b) meet in the event of exceptional circumstances, when requested by a simple majority of SIM Members, or by the Council;
d) conduct its meetings according to Rules of Order, developed by the Council and approved by the General Assembly.

CHAPTER 5. THE PRESIDENT
Article 5.1.- It is the President's responsibility to:
represent SIM, preside over the General Assembly and Council meetings present the Council's report to the General Assembly execute, once approved by the General Assembly, all actions, necessary to fulfill the objectives of SIM. coordinate all SIM activities, keep in contact with the Permanent Committees, Working Groups, with the Office of Science and Technology of the OAS and with other national and international organizations.

The home institution of the President provides all technical and administrative support necessary for the SIM President to fulfill the responsibilities of the Office. The home institution is not to be reimbursed for this support.

Article 5.2.- In the case the person serving as President can not continue in that capacity, the member Institute will name a substitute as the new President, subject to the Council´s approval and ratification at the next General Assembly. In the case the Institute that holds the Presidency can no longer serve in that capacity, the Council will elect a provisional President from among its members, who will serve until the next General Assembly.


CHAPTER 6. THE COUNCIL

Article 6.1.- The Council is composed of the President in office, the Coordinators of each of the five Subregions, the Executive Secretary, the Technical Advisor, the Chairmen of the Permanent Committees, the SIM Representative to the JCRB, and the Past President.

Article 6.2.-The Subregional Coordinators are elected by the Subregion members for a three-year term; they may be reelected for a second consecutive term.

Article 6.3.- The Council shall:
a) meet, at least twice a year or when convened by the President or by a simple majority of its members, its quorum shall be a simple majority of its members;
b) meet in private sessions unless the President or a simple majority of its members convene an open meeting for designated participants and/or observers;
c) take decisions with the vote of a simple majority, if the vote is a tie, the President shall decide;
d) create working groups for specific tasks;
e) prepare the Council's report to the General Assembly;
f) appoint the Chairmen of the Technical and Professional Development Committees;
g) prepare annual proposals for funding of SIM activities, and designate a member to submit the project to the OAS.

Article 6.4.- It is within the Council's authority to:
a) implement and enforce the recommendations of the General Assembly;
b) convene the ordinary meetings of the General Assembly;
c) draft the yearly activity schedule of SIM, following the guidelines set forth by the General Assembly and submit this document to the consideration of the SIM Members;
d) enter agreements with national and international entities;
e) designate from its members, SIM representatives before government, entities, conferences, as well as national or international organizations;
f) appoint the SIM representative to the Joint Committee of the Regional Metrology Organizations and the BIPM (JCRB);
g) make recommendations to the General Assembly on the admission of new Members and/or Participants;
h) draft SIM's proposal of Technical Projects with annual budget for submission to the OAS;
i) constitute task forces from within the Members, Participants, and special guests as appropriate;
j) decide on the custody (in trust) and ultimate disposal of any equipment donated to or acquired by SIM;
k) approve the use of the name SIM and the SIM logo for any activities.

Article 6.5.- Subregional coordinators shall have the following duties:
a) in collaboration with other Council members, generate proposals for development activities and execute them, if approved;
b) act as liaison between the working groups and the Council;
c) assist in drafting SIM's policies;
d) promote the exchange of information as well as the coordination between member countries within the subregion;
e) foster an equitable participation, as well as the fair distribution of benefits and responsibilities among Members within the subregion, in regard to SIM activities;
f) keep close contact with each one of the Members within the subregion and maintain updated information in regard to their measurement capabilities;
h) promote the comparison of standards from Members within the subregion;
i) act as liaison between Members within the subregion and the Council, channeling their proposals to the Council and vice-versa, allowing SIM resolutions to be viable and have the maximum support of Members within the subregion.

Article 6.6.- SIM representative to JCRB
Article 6.6.1.- SIM representative to JCRB shall be from an institution signatory of the CIPM MRA.
Article 6.6.2.- SIM representative to JCRB shall have the following duties:
a) represent SIM in the JCRB meetings;
b) present regular reports to the Council about JCRB activities and any decisions taken.

CHAPTER 7. THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Article 7.1.- The Executive Secretary shall be a staff member of the Office of Science and Technology of the OAS, or a designee.

Article 7.2.- The Executive Secretary shall:
a) assist the President in the accomplishment of his duties;
b) collaborate with the President in the settlement of affairs before national and international organizations;
c) keep the SIM Member directory updated;
d) be the custodian of all SIM documents;
e) keep a register of all OAS equipment in the SIM program with information on the equipment type, quantity, year of purchase, intended use, Member having custody and contact person;
f) transfer all OAS owned equipment to the SIM Council for disposal as soon as they reach the OAS expiration age of three years.

CHAPTER 8. THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

Article 8.1.- The Professional Development Committee shall be composed of a representative of each one of the SIM subregions, selected by the subregion members for a three-year term.

Article 8.2.- The Council appoints the Chair of the Professional Development Committee for a three-year term. Candidates must be affiliated to and proposed by SIM Members. The Chair may serve for a second consecutive term.

Article 8.3.- It is the responsibility of the Professional Development Committee to:
a) promote activities for the improvement of technical skills among laboratory personnel within the region;
b) carry out studies to determine the training requirements and capabilities within the region;
c) promote the exchange of information in regard to training;
d) request from international organizations support for training programs in the field of metrology, for SIM Members;
e) present the annual budget for the Committee to the Council;
f) perform other activities related to professional development, as recommended by the Council.

CHAPTER 9. THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE

Article 9.1.-The Technical Committee shall be composed of
a) the Chair of the Technical Committee
b) the SIM representative to the JCRB
c) the Chairpersons of the Technical Working Groups, plus
d) one member from each of the SIM subregions selected by the Subregion members for a three year term; the subregional coordinator may serve for a second consecutive term.

Article 9.2.- The Council appoints the Chair of the Technical Committee for a three year term. Candidates must be affiliated to and proposed by SIM Members. The Chair may serve for a second consecutive term.

Article 9.3.- The Technical Committee appoints the following Technical Working Groups: Metrology Working Groups (MWG), Legal Metrology Working Groups (LMWG), and Documentation Working Groups (DWG).

Article 9.4.- It is the Technical Committee's responsibility to:

a) promote closer collaboration among SIM Members in projects related to metrology and measurement services,
b) optimize the use of resources and services of the Members and foster the development of these services so they may satisfy regional demands,
c) document the traceability of measurement systems in SIM Members and encourage the regional acceptance of this traceability, in accordance with international definitions and trends,
d) study the comparison needs of the SIM Members,
e) supervise SIM comparisons, taking the necessary measures to expedite them in case of delays,
f) harmonize procedures proposed by Working Groups to perform comparisons of SIM laboratories,
g) propose to the Council the SIM representative to the JCRB
h) advise the Council in regard to technical matters in metrology,
i) perform other technical activities, as recommended by the Council,
j) coordinate activities of the Technical Working Groups,
k) promote closer cooperation between SIM and the BIPM to carry out the key and supplementary comparisons called for in the CIPM MRA,
l) promote cooperation between SIM and OIML as well as other legal metrology organizations,
m) prepare the annual budget for the Committee.

CHAPTER 10. THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUPS (TWG)

Article 10.1.- The Technical Committee appoints the Chairmen of the TWGs.

Article 10.2.-The members of the TWGs shall be persons with expertise in the technical area of the Working Group.

Article 10.3.- The TWGs shall be composed of at least five members, at least one from each subregion. The SIM Members are entitled to membership in all MWGs.

Article 10.4.- It is the responsibility of the Metrology Working Groups to:

a) coordinate and ensure the efficient implementation of SIM comparisons, as well as the proper dissemination of their results,
b) propose guidelines for the conduct of comparisons and dissemination of their results to the Technical Committee,
c) review the calibration and measurement capabilities (CMCs) of the SIM members for inclusion in the SIM database and submission to the JCRB through TC Chaiman
d) review the CMCs from National Metrology Institutes belonging to other Regional Metrology Organizations, in the framework of the CIPM MRA.

Article 10.4.1.- MWGs are organized as follows (corresponding to the CIPM Consultative Committee structure, except Units):

MWG1- Electricity and Magnetism (EM)
MWG2 - Photometry and Radiometry (PR)
MWG3 -Thermometry (T)
MWG4 - Length (L)
MWG5 -Time and Frequency (TF)
MWG6 - Ionizing Radiations (RI)
MWG7 -Mass and related quantities (M)
MWG8 - Amount of Substance (QM)
MWG9- Acoustics, Ultrasound and Vibrations (AUV)
MWG10- Flow

Article 10.5- It is the responsibility of the Legal Metrology Working Groups to:

a) promote the development of the technical infrastructure necessary for implementation of legal metrology in each country,
b) provide technical assistance for countries developing legal metrology systems.

Article 10.5.1.- LMWGs are organized as follows:

LMWG1-Laws and regulation
LMWG2-Metrological control of Measuring Instruments

Article 10.6.- It is the responsibility of the Documents Working Groups to:

a) prepare, review and, when necessary, propose to modify the SIM Statute, the Rules of Order, and Terms of Reference and other general documents to promote the efficient and effective operation of SIM,
b) to establish a data base with the purpose of documenting and diseminating the results of the comparisons organized by the MGWs
c) to promote the implementation of quality systems in SIM-Member laboratories, in accordance with the requierements of the CIPM MRA.

Article 10.6.1.- DWGs are organized as follows:

DWG1- Bylaws and operations
DWG2- DataBase
DWG3- Quality Systems

CHAPTER 11. THE TECHNICAL ADVISOR

Article 11.1.- The Technical Advisor shall be a staff member of NIST, or a designee by NIST.
Article 11.2.- It is the responsibility of the Technical Advisor to:
a) advise the President and the Council on technical matters in metrology,
b) coordinate technical activities, when requested by the Council or the Technical Committee,
c) collaborate with the Professional Development and Technical Committees, as well as with the Executive Secretary, in the promotion of the exchange of information between NIST and the other Members of SIM.


CHAPTER 12. DISPOSAL OF SIM EQUIPMENT

Article 12.1.- The SIM Council shall determine the recipient of SIM equipment among SIM members which was received on transfer from the OAS or through donation from any other source as it deems appropriate. All donations shall be transparent, without further obligation of SIM and become the exclusive property of the Member to which the disposal is made.

CHAPTER 13. GENERAL REGULATIONS

Article 13.1.- In General Assembly and Council resolutions, use may be made of the English, French, Portuguese or Spanish Languages. The reference language will be the one in which the documents are developed. The Executive Secretary will maintain all reference documents plus an English version of the ones developed in another language.
Article 13.2.- This Statute and/or the Rules of Order may be amended by a vote of two thirds of SIM Members.
Article 13.3.- Situations not covered under this Statute shall be resolved by the Council, pending ratification by the General Assembly.

CHAPTER 14. TERMINATION OF SIM

Article 14.1.- The General Assembly may resolve in regard to the termination of SIM only if specifically convened for this purpose and only if there is a two thirds majority of SIM Members voting in favor of termination.

This Statute was approved in Heredia, Costa Rica, on September 23, 1998.
It was first ammended in Miami, Florida, USA, December 13, 2001.