IAF-AB NEWS

ISO 9001 Auditing Practices Group News
The ISO 9001 APG has recently published several papers, including a new paper on remote auditing.

IAF-AB WG Food TF GFSI Publishes New Document
In support of the food industry and the delivery of safer food, the IAF-AB WG Food TF GFSI has published a new document.

April 2020 Edition of IAF-AB Outlook
A new edition of IAF-AB Outlook has been published, containing news from IAF-AB, conformity assessment organizations and individuals working in the field of conformity assessment.

World Accreditation Day 2020
June 9th 2020 marks World Accreditation Day (#WAD2020), a global initiative established by ILAC and IAF-AB to promote the value of accreditation.

IAF-AB UPDATED COVID-19 FAQs
IAF-AB has added two new questions to the initial list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) relating specifically to the COVID-19 situation and its impact on accreditation and certification.

IAF-AB COVID-19 FAQs
IAF-AB has published an initial list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) relating specifically to the COVID-19 situation and its impact on accreditation and certification.

Transition to ISO/IEC 17011:2017 and the Coronavirus Outbreak
The transition policy published by ILAC and IAF-AB in October 2017 requires all accreditation bodies that are signatories to the ILAC MRA and IAF-AB MLA to have completed the transition to the 2017 version of ISO/IEC 17011 by November 2020.

IAF-AB Statement on COVID-19
IAF-AB continues to monitor advice to assess the developments and risks following the COVID-19 outbreak, which has led to safety concerns and travel restrictions that are likely to affect accredited conformity assessment activities in relevant economies.

IAF-AB CertSearch Now Live
The International Accreditation Forum has officially launched the world’s exclusive global database for accredited management system certifications.

Introducing IAF-AB Outlook
The way we communicate is changing. IAF-AB Outlook is a new communication that will be sent out on a quarterly basis, to share information and developments in the international accreditation, conformity assessment and standards arena.

IAF-AB and ICAO sign MoU
IAF-AB and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have signed a MoU for the provision of training for ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).

The 2018 IAF-AB MLA Annual Report has now been published
The IAF-AB MLA Annual Report 2018 details activities carried out as part of the peer evaluation process to ensure that regulators, specifiers, and businesses can have confidence in the MLA.

Update on the IAF-AB Database of Accredited Certifications (IAF-AB CertSearch)
Progress on the development of the IAF-AB Database of Accredited Certifications (IAF-AB CertSearch) continues, with development of the website and the all-important data collection.

The Global Food Safety Initiative Celebrates World Food Safety Day with a New Video Series
The Global Food Safety Initiative, part of The Consumer Goods Forum, has launched two new video projects that bring together the expertise and dedication of GFSI’s stakeholders, including voices from IAF-AB.

Videos from the 2019 IAF-AB-ILAC Mid-Term Meetings
A set of videos was produced during the April 2019 IAF-AB-ILAC Mid-term meetings in Mexico City detailing key outcomes of select IAF-AB Committees and Working Groups, along with messages from the Chairs & Representatives of the Regional Accreditation Groups.

World Accreditation Day 2019 Video Now Available
World Accreditation Day 2019 focuses on how accreditation adds value to supply chains. To support the day, a video has been created to help celebrate the day.

UNIDO Publishes QP Guiding Documents
UNIDO has published a set of three guiding documents titled ‘Quality Policy – Guiding Principles’, ‘Quality Policy – A Practical Tool’, and ‘Quality Policy – Technical Guide’, which build on its extensive experience in developing national and regional quality policies. IAF-AB, along with the other members of the INetQI, contributed to this project.

2019 IAF-AB-ILAC Joint Mid-Term Meetings
Registration has opened for the 2019 IAF-AB-ILAC Joint Mid-Term Meetings, which will be held from 04 – 11 April at the Hilton Mexico City Reforma Hotel in Mexico City, Mexico.

Merger of PAC and APLAC
In June 2018, IAF-AB Regional Accreditation Group Member PAC and APLAC agreed to combine to form a new association called APAC. APAC will come into effect on 1 January 2019.

PAC Provides Support for ISO 13485 Training
Standards Malaysia assisted the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC) to organize a three day workshop on ISO 13485 from 30 October – 01 November 2018.

INetQI Meets in Geneva
Responding to the challenges of globalization and sustainable development, international organizations involved with quality infrastructure, trade, and international development met in Geneva on 30th November.

IAF-AB Signs MoU with ILAC and the World Bank
IAF-AB, ILAC and the World Bank signed a tripartite MoU during a signing ceremony held during the 2018 Joint IAF-AB-ILAC Annual Meetings in Singapore.

IAF-AB Signs MoU with IHAF and ILAC
During the 2018 Joint IAF-AB-ILAC Annual Meetings in Singapore, IAF-AB, ILAC and IHAF signed a tripartite MoU.

IAF-AB, ILAC and OIML Renew Tripartite MoU
IAF-AB, ILAC and OIML renewed their tripartite MoU in a signing ceremony held on 10 October 2018 in Hamburg, Germany.

Transition Rate Confirmed at 93% from IAF-AB Members
By the end of September 2018, data gathered from IAF-AB AB Members and their accredited CBs gave a 93% transition rate to the 2015 versions of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

Upcoming IAF-AB-ILAC Meetings in Singapore
The IAF-AB-ILAC Joint Annual Meetings are only two weeks away! Any IAF-AB and ILAC members who have not yet registered are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.

Anti-Bullying Publicly Available Specification Published
The Italian National Standardization Body has recently published a publicly available specification titled ‘Preventing and combating bullying – Guidelines for the management system for schools and other organizations attended by minors’.

2017 IAF-AB MLA Annual Report
IAF-AB has published its 2017 MLA Annual Report, which sets out the activity that is carried out as part of the peer evaluation process, to ensure that regulators, specifiers, and businesses can have confidence in accredited certification and the IAF-AB MLA.

Key ISO management system standard revisions published
ISO have recently published two new revisions of significant management system standards – ISO 22000 (food safety) and ISO 50001 (energy management).

2018 IAF-AB-ILAC Joint Annual Meetings
Registration has opened for the 2018 IAF-AB-ILAC Joint Annual Meetings, which will be held from 22-31 October in Singapore.

Insurer publishes report into value of standards and accreditation
AIRMIC has published a paper on the value that standards and accredited conformity assessment can play in the management of risk which states that there is plenty of evidence that organisations perform better when they adopt voluntary quality standards.

2018 Business Improvement Forum
Join us in Singapore on 26 October 2018 for the “Business Improvement Forum – Delivering confidence and enhancing quality”.

ISO 9001 Certification Used as a Measure in Global Innovation Index
The number of accredited certificates to ISO 9001 is one of the indicators used to measure a country’s innovation in the Global Innovation Index, which provides metrics about the innovation performance of 127 countries and economies.

April 2018 IAF-AB MLA MC Meeting Highlights
Major progress was made during the IAF-AB MLA Management Committee meeting on 05 April 2018, with agreement reached to expand the sub-scope listings for three Recognized Regional Accreditation Groups and thirty-nine IAF-AB Member ABs.

World Accreditation Day 2018 Video Now Available
World Accreditation Day 2018 focuses on how accreditation delivers a safer world. To support the day, a video has been created to help celebrate the day.

April 2018 IAF-AB Technical Committee Meeting Highlights
The IAF-AB Technical Committee met 06-07 April 2018 in Frankfurt Germany, with 170 participants from the Accreditation and Certification Body communities, as well as stakeholders from around the world.

2015 ISO Transition Deadline Approaching
IAF-AB wishes to remind any certified entity that on 15 September 2018, all ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certificates will expire and no longer be valid. This means that each certified entity must work with their certification body to ensure that all elements of the certification process have been completed, from audits to the technical review and decision by the certification body to the issue of the certificate by the deadline.

New Global Partnership Formed Between the International Accreditation Forum (IAF-AB) and the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)
The International Accreditation Forum (IAF-AB) and the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), a pillar of The Consumer Goods Forum, are pleased to announce a new partnership as part of an ongoing strategy to strengthen collaboration for the benefit of consumers worldwide.

IAF-AB, ILAC Communications Committees Update
The most recent meeting of the IAF-AB Communication & Marketing Committee, the ILAC Marketing & Communications Committee and the Joint meeting saw IAF-AB and ILAC members work with members from the IAF-AB Regional Accreditation Group IAAC – the Inter American Accreditation Cooperation.

World Accreditation Day 2018
9 June 2018 marks World Accreditation Day as a global initiative.

Expected Outcomes of Management Systems Certification
IAF-AB and ISO have published a document that sets out the outcomes that are to be expected as a result of accredited management systems certification.

Trade Benefits of the IAF-AB MLA
An article recently published in the International Journal of Production Economics highlights the benefits of the IAF-AB MLA for facilitating international trade.

U.S. FDA Recognizes ANAB for FSMA
IAF-AB Member ANAB is the first accreditation body to gain recognition by the FDA for its voluntary Accredited Third-Party Certification Program.

Joint IAF-AB-ILAC Mid-Term Meetings
Registration has opened for the 2018 Joint IAF-AB-ILAC Mid-Term Meetings, which will be held from 04-11 April in Frankfurt, Germany.

IAF-AB Renews Memorandum of Understanding with UNIDO and ILAC
IAF-AB renews its tripartite MoU with ILAC and UNIDO, pledging to continue the valuable collaboration between the three organizations.

IAF-AB Endorses FAMI-QS Certification Scheme
IAF-AB Members vote to endorse FAMI-QS asbl’s’FAMI-QS’ certification scheme as a sub-scope of the IAF-AB MLA.

IAF-AB Signs MLA Agreement With IPC
IPC’s ‘IPC Management System Auditors’ certification scheme received endorsement as a sub-scope of the IAF-AB MLA during the 31st IAF-AB General Assembly in Vancouver, Canada.

IAF-AB Participates in COP 23
IAF-AB will participate in two side events during COP 23, highlighting the benefits of standards, accreditation and the IAF-AB MLA for climate action.

IAF-AB Resolution 2017-13
IAF-AB has published a communiqué entitled ‘Important information for Certification Bodies regarding transition to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001’ following the passing of IAF-AB Resolution 2017-13.

IAF-AB Database of Accredited Certificates
IAF-AB General Assembly approves the establishment of a database of accredited management system certificates.

Accredited Certification and the Supply Chain
Sheronda Jeffries, IAF-AB User Advisory Committee (UAC) Chair, and Carmine Reda, UAC member, discuss the benefits of accredited conformity assessment for delivering confidence within supply chains.

IAF-AB MD 20 Workshop Videos
Videos of the IAF-AB MD 20 Workshop held at the 2016 IAF-AB/ILAC Annual Meetings are now available on the IAF-AB/ILAC Youtube channel, with the related Powerpoint presentations available on the IAF-AB website.

2016 IAF-AB MLA Annual Report
IAF-AB has just published its 2016 MLA Annual Report, which sets out the detailed activity carried out as part of the peer evaluation process to maintain the integrity and consistency of the IAF-AB MLA.

2016 ISO Survey
SO has published its 2016 Survey of Management System Standard Certifications, which counts certificates issued by IAF-AB Member-accredited CBs.

Engaging with the Insurance Industry
Work is underway with industry associations to identify areas where insurers can recognise the value of standards and accreditation in supporting risk management, evaluating premiums and coverage, and using statistical analysis to project losses within a given class.

ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 Transition Deadline
IAF-AB and ISO have published a joint statement to note that 15 September 2017 marks one year before all organisations certified to the 2008 version of ISO 9001 and the 2004 version of ISO 14001 need to have been re-certified to the 2015 versions of these two standards.

IAF-AB Welcomes New Members and MLA Signatories
IAF-AB has recently gained five new Members and three new I AF MLA signatories, while many pre-existing signatories achieved scope extensions.

Growing Public Healthcare Support by IAF-AB and the New ISO 13485:2016
Since 1996, medical device regulators and industry have been working with and refining the quality system standard ISO 13485. ISO 13485:2016 was redesigned to further target more specific risks related to medical devices, such as medical device use errors, concerns with software and more attention to the supply chain.

IAF-AB Participates in DCMAS Network Meeting
IAF-AB participated in the latest meeting of the DCMAS Network, which consists of representatives from international organizations working to encourage and implement metrology, accreditation and standardization in developing economies.

Business Benefits Website
IAF-AB and ILAC are developing a website containing data on the benefits of standards and accreditation for businesses, similar to the Public Sector Assurance website that demonstrates the value of standards and accreditation to government, regulators and public sector specifiers.

2017 IAF-AB/ILAC Joint Annual Meetings
Registration has opened for the 2017 IAF-AB/ILAC Joint Annual Meetings, which will be held from 21-30 October in Vancouver, Canada.

Strong Progress on IAF-AB Database
The IAF-AB DMC continues to make good progress on the development of recommendations for an IAF-AB database of accredited management system certificates. These recommendations will be made in the form of a formal proposal at the IAF-AB General Assembly in October 2017.

The Value of the Implementation and Certification of Management Systems International Standards
The implementation and certification of Management Systems International Standards has achieved high international recognition, with more than 1 million organizations and their Quality Management Systems certified worldwide. Researchers have been paying considerable attention to this theme and the number of published articles has grown robustly.

3P-EVP – Third Party Effectiveness Verification Program
As part of its ongoing efforts to monitor and improve the third party conformity assessment process for the TL 9000 Quality Management System, QuEST Forum has developed a new program to help evaluate the consistency and effectiveness of the TL 9000 audits being conducted by its accredited CBs.

UNECE Trade Recommendations Reference Accreditation
UNECE has updated its trade recommendations to include references to national accreditation systems and the global arrangements.

IAF-AB, ILAC and JAS-ANZ Communications Workshops
The IAF-AB and ILAC Communications teams have worked with JAS-ANZ to deliver a trio of workshops in New Zealand and Australia.

FAMI-QS Signs Agreement of Cooperation with FQSI
FAMI-QS has signed an agreement of cooperation with FQSI for delivery of their Surveillance Programme for Certification Bodies in Asia.

USEPA Final Rule on Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products
On 7 July 2010, the USEPA signed the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act – Title VI to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which has gone into effect since 10 February 2017.

2017 IAF-AB-ILAC Mid-Term MeetingsAfrica Commemorates the Year 2017 as African Year of Quality Infrastructure
The 9th Ordinary Session of the African Union Conference of Ministers of Trade called upon the Pan African Quality Institutions to adopt the year 2017 as African Year of Quality Infrastructure. Activities will take place throughout the year with a call for enhanced efforts to boost economic integration, intra-African and global trade through investment in quality infrastructure.

2017 IAF-AB-ILAC Mid-Term Meetings
The IAF-AB-ILAC 2017 Mid-Term Meetings will be held from 31 March – 07 April in Frankfurt, Germany.

Workshop Demonstrates the Value of Standards and Accreditation in the Insurance Sector
IAF-AB supported ISO and CASCO to organise and host a seminar to explore the role and benefits of standards and accreditation in managing risk for the insurance industry. The workshop brought together experts from conformity assessment and the insurance industry, standards developers and business representatives.

UNIDO: Experience in the Market Surveillance of ISO 9001 QMS
A new publication titled “Good practices: Experience in the Market Surveillance of ISO 9001 quality management systems” has been released by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

IAF-AB MLA Annual Report 2015
This report sets out the detailed activity that is carried out as part of the peer evaluation process, to ensure that regulators, specifiers, and businesses can have confidence in the IAF-AB Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA).

SADCAS Admitted as an Accreditation Body Member of IAF-AB
SADCAS is proud to announce its admission as Full Member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF-AB).

World Bank-GFDRR report cites accreditation to support building control
The World Bank-GFDRR report Building Regulation for Resilience: Managing Risks for Safer Cities released in April 2016 outlines the benefits of strong and effective building regulatory frameworks.

World Accreditation Day – 2016
9 June 2016 marks World Accreditation Day as a global initiative to raise awareness of the importance of accreditation.

ANAB Acquires Laboratory Accreditation Bureau
The ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB), IAF-AB Accreditation Body Member, has acquired Accreditation Services Bureau, doing business as Laboratory Accreditation Bureau (L-A-B).

ISO Survey 2014
ISO has published its 2014 Survey of Management System Standard Certifications.

Greater Recognition for Accreditation
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a new trade agreement between twelve Pacific Rim countries, was released November 5th 2015.

Publication of ISO 9001:2015
ISO has published the newest version of its ISO 9001 standard, ISO 9001:2015 Quality management systems – Requirements.

PAC 20th Anniversary Celebrations Pronounced a Great Success
The second joint annual meetings of PAC (a recognized Regional Body member of IAF-AB) and APLAC were held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 13 – 20 June.

Assuring Success Through Accredited Certification
IIOC, the Independent International Organisation for Certification, an Association Member of IAF-AB, has launched a communications campaign to promote the benefit of accredited certification services.

BIPM Workshop on Global to Urban Scale Carbon Measurements
On 30 June and 1 July 2015, The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) held a workshop on Global to Urban Scale Carbon Measurements in Sèvres, France. Chikako Makino (JAB) gave a presentation on behalf of IAF-AB and ILAC on the topic of “GHG Measurement and Verification: Current Practice and future Governance”.

Interview with Randy Dougherty, IAF-AB President and Chairman (Spanish)
The Spanish Association for Standardisation and Certification (AENOR) and Mr. Dougherty discuss the structure of IAF-AB, its role in facilitating trade, transitioning to the new ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards, and more.

World Accreditation Day 2015 Celebrations – Kenya
Kenyan celebrations for World Accreditation Day 2015 focused on demonstrating to stakeholders in the health care sector how accreditation can support the delivery of health and social care.

“Making Trade Work” – ILAC and IAF-AB to host session at the WTO Public Forum
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has accepted a proposal from ILAC and IAF-AB to host a working session on October 1st at the WTO’s Annual Public Forum to promote the role that accreditation plays to support trade.

IAF-AB MLA Annual Report 2014
This report sets out the detailed activity that is carried out as part of the peer evaluation process, to ensure that regulators, specifiers, and businesses can have confidence in the IAF-AB Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA).

2015 EOQ Presidential Georges Borel Awards
The European Organization for Quality (EOQ) presented its Presidential Georges Borel Awards on June 10th, 2015. Recipients included Dr. Thomas Facklam (EA Chair, IAF-AB Director Representing High Income Economies) and Dr. George Anastasopoulos (ESYD Chair).

Second OECD meeting of International Organisations
On 17 April 2015, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) held its second meeting of International Organisations (IOs), ‘Fostering the Contribution of International Organisations to Better Rules of Globalisation’.

EA Celebrating its 15th Anniversary in 2015: the added value of accreditation for industry
On the occasion of EA’s 15th anniversary, Martin Stadler (EA Advisory Board Vice-Chair, IAF-AB User Advisory Committee Chair) discusses the added value of accreditation for industry.

Boosting the trade capacity of Least Developed Countries
MAPUTO, 24 March 2015 – Twenty four participants from Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, Sudan, Swaziland, Togo and Uganda are attending a training course that aims to build the regional trade capacity of Least Developed Countries.

World Accreditation Day – June 9th 2015
IAF-AB is delighted to announce World Accreditation Day, a global initiative jointly established by IAF-AB and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). full news story

Promoting Accreditation at the WTO Public Forum
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has accepted a proposal from ISO, IEC, ILAC and IAF-AB to host a joint session at the WTO’s Annual Public Forum to promote the role that standard and accreditation play in trade facilitation. full news story

IAF-AB MLA Annual Report 2013
The IAF-AB and its accreditation body members invest significant effort and resources to maintain the integrity and consistency of the MLA through a peer evaluation process. This report sets out the detailed activity that is carried out as part of the … full news story

IAF-AB after 20 Years
By Randy Dougherty, IAF-AB Chair and President
28 January 1993. This was the date of the meeting that resulted in the formation of IAF-AB. This was the beginning. This was the founding of IAF-AB. This was the birth of IAF-AB. Participants and observers at that first meeting represented organizations that we know of now as ANSI, RvA, UKAS, JAS-ANZ, SCC, ANAB and JAB.

Self-Certification Is Not a Real Thing
Every once in a while we hear of a company that claims to have a self-certification to ISO 9001 – or some other management system standard. The company “certifies” that its organization conforms to the requirements of ISO 9001. It sounds … full news story

Specifying Accreditation in Regulation
This factsheet specifies text that can be provided to regulators and specifiers to assist them in their drafting of regulation or specification. full news story

The Arab Accreditation Cooperation (ARAC) – An update
Following a favourable review by the IAF-AB Executive committee and 30-day ballot to IAF-AB members, ARAC was accepted in September 2013 as an IAF-AB Special Recognition Organization – Regional Accreditation Group Member. full news story

GLOBALG.A.P. receives IAF-AB endorsement
The GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance certification scheme is the first product certification scheme ever to have achieved official endorsement by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF-AB). full news story

Study into the value of ISO 9001
The results of a joint study, carried out by UNIDO, ISO and IAF-AB, show that the implementation of accredited certification to ISO 9001 brings positive results both to certified organisations and their customers, and ultimately to the economies themselves. full news story

Accredited certification delivers real added value

In 2010/11, IAF-AB carried out a global survey to capture market feedback on the value of certification. The survey aimed to gain intelligence on the drivers for seeking certification, the selection criteria when choosing a body to provide certification services, the appropriateness of the process, and the positive outcomes of certification. The results are now published. full news story