 Each member of the CIPM is from a different member state – with France, in recognition of its work in setting up the Convention, always having one seat on the CIPM.The Secretariat of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures ("Bureau international des poids et mesures" or BIPM) is based at Saint-Cloud, France.It has custody of the now historical international prototype of the kilogram and provides metrology services for the CGPM and CIPM, and hosts their formal meetings.