THE INTER-AMERICAN METROLOGY SYSTEM The Inter-american Metrology System (SIM) resulted from a broad agreement among national metrology organizations from all 34 member nations of the Organization of American States (OAS). Created to promote international, particularly Inter-american, and regional cooperation in metrology, SIM is committed to the implementation of a Global Measurement System within the Americas, in which all users can have confidence. Working towards the establishment of a robust regional measuring system, SIM is essential for making the development of a free trade area in the Americas (ALCA) possible. In the context of the cooperation established, measures taken by the members will help to achieve: • the establishment of national and regional measurement systems; • the establishment of a hierarchy of the national standards of each country and linkage with regional and international standards; • the establishment of equivalence among national measuring standards and calibration certificates issued by the national metrology laboratories; • comparability of results obtained from measurement processes performed in laboratories within the system; • training of technical and scientific personnel; • the collection and distribution of technical and scientific documentation; • the linkage with the international standards maintained by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM); • close cooperation with the international organization for scientific (BIPM) and legal metrology (OIML) and with other international organizations interested in laboratory accreditation (ILAC) and with measurement technology and standards (IMEKO), research and development (universities and R&D organizations), oriented to foster competitiveness, to promote more equitable commercial transactions and to support basic development in health, safety, sustainable industrial development and environment protection. Organized in five subregions (NORAMET, CARIMET, CAMET, ANDIMET, and SURAMET), SIM is comprised of metrology organizations from 34 countries in the Americas and benefits from a Governing Council structured by one coordinator from each subregion, a TechnicalCommittee, a Professional Development Committee and an integrated representation (JCRB) which provides access for SIM in a world agreement for the comparison of standards at the highest metrology level.

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