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IAF and ILAC Announce 2024 Poster Contest Winners

IAF and ILAC are pleased to announce the three winning designs in the IAF/ILAC 2024 World Accreditation Day poster contest, which received a total of 98 entries. This year’s contest invited contestants to explore the theme of Accreditation: Empowering Tomorrow and Shaping the Future.

Congratulations to the team of Japhet Tolosa Celis and Jazzy April Macogue Tolosa, who won the first-place prize of USD 1500. Their design, which portrays the Earth being held by a mechanical hand representing the Fourth Industrial Revolution and a potter’s hand representing accreditation as an agent of change, reflects accreditation’s critical role in shaping a better and more sustainable world. Learn more about the winning team and their inspiration here

The winning poster is available for download here.

We would also like to congratulate our second-place winners, the team of Aliya Ospanova, Anara Tleuova, Zulyal Kabenova and Yelena Trifonova, and our third-place winner, Joshua Egahi-Ojo Alhassan. Each runner-up entry earned a prize of USD 500. Learn more about these designers and their posters here. [insert link]

Thank you to all participants!

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Case Study – Accreditation for the efficient use of water

TODAY IS WORLD WATER DAY!

Learn how ILAC member EMA ac, and accredited inspection bodies, are helping the Mexican State to administer, manage and preserve the quality and quantity of water within their economy.

“At present, the extraction of national waters in the country faces a principal-agent problem caused by information asymmetries relating to the actual amount of water extracted by users. This situation leads to inefficiency in the use of water and, at times, to the under-declaration of volumes to the Mexican authorities.

The national water program in Mexico, since its publication in 2019, has designated the NMX-AA-179 standard as mandatory. In this regulation, it is established that both the ISPs and the Inspection Units are responsible for the selection, installation and operation of the meters or measurement systems, as well as the remote transmission of the measurement information to the authority. In addition, they play a crucial role in ensuring the correct measurement of national waters through the conformity assessment procedure.

Due to these circumstances, it is imperative to make an accurate measurement of the volumes of national waters extracted. This action contributes significantly to counteracting existing information asymmetries, thus strengthening transparency and efficiency in the management of this vital resource.”

You can view the full case study here

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ILAC Chair attends WADA 25th Anniversary Symposium

ILAC and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have a long-standing relationship spanning over 20 years.

ILAC and WADA first signed an MoU in 2007, with the latest copy re-signed on 25 November 2021.

WADA-ILAC Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) 2021

Accreditation of anti-doping laboratories by an ILAC MRA signatory is a pre-requisite for WADA accreditation. ILAC and WADA work together to formally recognise the technical competence of the anti-doping laboratories, and this then leads to community confidence in laboratory outputs which are measurement results that are fit for their intended use.

ILAC provides the professional knowledge in assessments, to ensure the professional competence of the testing laboratories for WADA. WADA is responsible for harmonisation between laboratories, training assessors and, as necessary, updating the requirements and binding documents.

Key areas of the ILAC – WADA partnership are:

  • Exchange of information and expertise on accreditation of anti-doping laboratories;
  • Development of guidelines to harmonise and optimise the accreditation practices worldwide;
  • Mutual representation on selected committees and working groups;
  • Organisation of assessor training; and
  • Participation in each other’s annual and associated meetings, including the ILAC General Assembly and the WADA Foundation Board.

Our complementary roles are essential in the fight against drugs in sport.

ILAC Chair, Etty Feller attended WADA’s Annual Symposium & 25th Anniversary Celebrations in Lausanne, Switzerland on 12-13 March. She presented during the “Partnerships with International Organizations” session, and the subsequent Q&A, along with representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA).

“We strive to continue to lead together in accordance with ILAC’s Mission”, Ms Feller said.


Pictured above are Victoria Ivanova Senior Manager, International Partnerships Science and Medicine Department WADA , Etty Feller, ILAC Chair and Prof Olivier Rabin, Senior Director Science and Medicine WADA.

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Joint IFCC / ILAC webinar – March 19 – Registration Open

We are pleased to announce that registration to our joint IFCC – ILAC webinar “Quality System in Labs and Accreditation – Challenges of the new ISO 15189:2022”, is now open. 

The webinar will show how the harmonized implementation of management systems according to ISO 15189 in medical laboratories, improves the validity of clinical results essential for patient care. It will also describe the ILAC role in this process.

Visit the link below to register:

https://www.workcast.com/register?cpak=5293931365448094

The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) is a worldwide organisation for clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine. It has a range of roles that include: global standard setting in collaboration with other international organisations; supporting its members through scientific and educational endeavor; and providing a series of congresses, conferences, and focussed meetings, for laboratory medicine specialists to meet and present original findings and best practice.

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Gender equality, accredited certification helps companies fill the gaps

Friday 8 March was International Women’s Day!

Gender equality is vital for sustainable development. Read how ILAC member Accredia, and accredited certification, are helping to address the inclusion and active participation of women in Italian workplaces.

You can view the case study here

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Case Study – Promoting accessibility in tourism and sports

Today is Zero Discrimination Day!

Learn how ILAC member Accredia, and accredited certification, are helping to ensure that all Italians can access tourist and sports facilities, while preserving their autonomy and safety.

You can view the case study here

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IAF, ILAC and OIML Renew Tripartite MoU

[28 February 2024] – The International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), International Accreditation Forum (IAF), and International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) are pleased to announce the renewal of their tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was first signed on 28 October 2007. The latest version, signed on 08 February 2024, marks over 16 years of formalized cooperation between the three organizations, and re-confirms their commitment to close collaboration.

Areas of collaboration include:

  • facilitating common approaches in the interpretation and implementation of standards,
  • harmonizing assessment procedures,
  • sharing interpretations of common issues relevant to conformity assessment bodies, and
  • establishing lists of and encouraging the use of legal metrology experts (LMEs) in accreditation and certification, and management system experts in OIML peer assessments.

“I’m excited to announce the continuation of this partnership, which underscores our pivotal role of accreditation and legal metrology in facilitating trade, and providing confidence in conformity assessment results,” said Emanuele Riva, IAF Chair. “I look forward to continuing our collaboration as IAF and ILAC further evolve.”

Etty Feller, ILAC Chair, noted that “ILAC, IAF and OIML have maintained a strong relationship for many years, demonstrating the importance of cooperation between our organizations. I am delighted to formalize our continued cooperation with the renewed MoU.”

“I am pleased to see the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding between ILAC, IAF, and OIML, marking over 16 years of fruitful collaboration,”said Dr Bobjoseph Mathew, CIML President. “This emphasises our joint commitment to enhancing the integrity of measurements and fostering consumer protection, industry standards, and global trade. The continued partnership highlights the vital role of accreditation and legal metrology in ensuring compliance and trust among trading partners. I look forward to further strengthening our cooperation, for the benefit of all those involved.”

View the MOU here.

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Signatory Status – EAS, Ethiopia

The signatory status of Ethiopia Accreditation Service (EAS), Ethiopia, to the ILAC MRA has been extended to include the accreditation of Calibration (ISO/IEC 170259).

The full list of signatories to the ILAC MRA is available from https://ilac.org/signatory-search/ .

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IAF and ILAC Release New Accreditation Matters Episode

IAF and ILAC have released a new episode of their podcast, Accreditation Matters, which features discussions with international experts on matters of importance to the international quality infrastructure community. Accreditation Matters highlights the way that accreditation supports industry, regulators, global trade, consumers, and the drive towards sustainability.

‘The Importance of Accreditation for the Private Sector’ is the second episode in IAF and ILAC’s new sub-series on the role of accreditation in the food industry. Listen to it on SpotifyApple PodcastGoogle Podcasts and Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube.

In this episode, IAF WG Food Co-Convener Colin Christmas (EAGLE Certification Group, IQNET representative) leads a discussion with LeAnn Chuboff (Vice President of Technical Affairs, SQF), Chryssa Dimitriadis (Director of IFS Standard Management, IFS), Aldin Hilbrands (CEO, Foundation FSSC), Quincy Lissaur (Executive Director, SSAFE), Amanda McCarthy (Business Director, BRCGS), and Mark Overland (industry representative, formerly at Cargill). The guests highlight main conformity assessment schemes and standards, and discuss the key role of accreditation in the production of safe food and assuring consumers that products meet dietary and sustainability claims.

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IAF and ILAC Launch Podcast Sub-Series on Food

IAF and ILAC have released a new episode of their podcast, Accreditation Matters, which features discussions with international experts on important matters to the international quality infrastructure community and the way that accreditation supports industry, regulators, global trade, consumers, and the drive towards sustainability.

 

‘The Role of Accreditation in the Food Sector’ is the first episode of a mini-series that will examine the importance of accreditation and accredited conformity assessment in the food industry. The sub-series will highlight topics such as the role of accreditation in ensuring food safety, supporting sustainability, and confirming regulatory compliance.

 

In this episode, IAF WG Food Co-Convener Colin Christmas (EAGLE Certification Group, IQNET Member) leads a discussion with IAF WG Food Co-Convener Wolfram Hartmann (DAkkS), IAF MLA Committee Chair Kylie Sheehan (JASANZ), Vani Bhambri Arora (UAF), and Skip Greenaway (EAGLE Certification Group). Guests highlight the importance of IAF and ILAC, types of conformity assessment relating to the food industry, main standards and schemes, and the process used for endorsement of schemes under the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA).

 

Listen to the episode now on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts or Amazon Music, or watch it on YouTube.

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