Bangladesh Accreditation Board (BAB) is a statutory body established by “The Bangladesh Accreditation Act, 2006” under the Ministry of Industries, the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. The board is mandated by the act to make provisions for the issuance of accreditation certificates to different laboratories, certification bodies, inspection bodies, training institutions, or persons, in line with the relevant International and national standards and guidelines.

BAB started testing the laboratory accreditation scheme in 2011 and issued its first-ever accreditation certificate in 2012. Since this time, activities of BAB have been expanded in response to valued stakeholders, at home and abroad. BAB is currently operating 4 accreditation schemes for testing, calibration, and medical laboratories, inspection bodies, and certification bodies. As of October 2024, BAB has accredited 144 Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) operating in both private and public domains.

In 2015 BAB signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) with the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (now APAC) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). Membership for Halal Accreditation with other similar international and regional organizations including the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC) is in process.

The government of Bangladesh declared “The World Accreditation Day” 9 June as a National Day (Category C) in 2013. Every year this day is celebrated nationwide with great enthusiasm, to promote mass awareness about accreditation and dissemination of accreditation information. On the eve of the World Accreditation Day 2024, BAB published souvenirs highlighting the theme of the day and the importance of accreditation, and organized different seminars, symposium stakeholder meetings, and so on. A special supplement was published in the widely circulated daily newspapers and a television talk show was also aired on this occasion.

Zakia Sultana, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Industries and Md. Anwarul Alam, Director General, BAB is seen in the World Accreditation Day 2024 rally

Like previous years, a colorful rally led by Zakia Sultana, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Industries and Md. Anwarul Alam, Director General, BAB was held on the occasion of ‘World Accreditation Day 2024’. The experts, regulators, well-wishers, and beneficiaries from different stakeholders including senior officials of the Ministry of Industry, representatives of different accredited CABs, the business community, academia, quality and accreditation persons, and journalists from electronic and print media participated in the rally. Different electronic media aired and print media published the news with great emphasis.

To improve national accreditation infrastructure in the country BAB organizes need-based training on different international standards and technical topics. This also helps in the facilitation of accreditation activities and making a competent assessor/expert pool.

Mr. Md. Anwarul Alam, Director General, BAB and Mr Hohammad Shhohaieb, Initiative Director, UK Bangladesh Standards partnership initiative, BSI along with the participants.

As part of the ministry-led innovation program for service simplification, BAB has a program to provide accreditation services appropriately by establishing a modern technology-based, efficient, accountable, corruption-free administrative and accreditation system. In this regard, BAB showcased “Pre-qualification Self-Assessment of Testing and Calibration Service Providers Interested in Accreditation through Online” on its website for feasibility and client’s opinion.

Mr. Md. Anwarul Alam, Director General, BAB describing the service simplification of BAB to Zakia Sultana, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Industries.

BAB is committed to maintaining APAC/ILAC MRA status in compliance with international norms, and assists in the overall development of Bangladesh by trade facilitation; delivering confidence and protection of public interest through quality accreditation services without discrimination, and ensuring maintaining independence, impartiality, transparency and objectivity in the decision-making process. To this end, BAB regularly organizes meetings with significant stakeholders for feedback, opinions, and suggestions.

Mr. Md. Anwarul Alam, Director General, BAB and senior BAB officials along with the participants of the stakeholder workshop.

BAB always strives to establish itself as a reliable accreditation organization in regional and the international arena. Over time, the spectrum of BAB activities has been expanding. The Bangladesh government has taken different initiatives and approved new projects in the annual development program for modernization of accreditation infrastructure and capacity building. In the future, through increasing the work portfolios and activities, BAB will continue its significant role in the socio-economic development of the country.

EIAC jointly hosted the APAC annual meetings in Dubai

The annual meeting of Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC) was jointly hosted by the Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC), Emirates National Accreditation System (ENAS) and GCC Accreditation Center (GAC). The Meetings are held from July 13 to July 18, 2024, in Dubai, UAE. This was the first time that annual meetings and general assembly of APAC were held in the UAE and middle east region.

Over 200 delegates attended the 2024 APAC Annual Meeting.

EIAC’s peer re-evaluation conducted by ARAC

The re-evaluation of Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) was conducted on 06-10 May 2024. The peer evaluation was conducted by the Arab Accreditation Cooperation (ARAC). The six-member peer evaluation team was comprised of peer evaluators from Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Jordon and South Africa.

The peer evaluation covered the existing scope ISO/IEC 17025 (Testing and Calibration), ISO/IEC 17020 (Inspection) and ISO 15189 (Medical).

EIAC hosted executive committee meetings of ARAC

The Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) hosted the executive committee meetings of Arab Accreditation Cooperation (ARAC) in Dubai, UAE on 18 July 2024. The meetings were held in connection with ARAC’s mid-year meetings.

EIAC granted ISQua hospital accreditations

The Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) granted accreditations to three hospitals and a day surgery center. The accreditations were granted according to the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) requirements & standard.
The accreditation certificates were officially delivered during the celebrations of the World Patient Safety Day.

EIAC attended Joint IAF-ILAC annual meetings in Berlin

The joint annual meetings of IAF-ILAC were held in Germany on 1-10 October 2024. The EIAC delegation headed by Ms. Amina Ahmed Mohammed, CEO, attended the meetings. The EIAC strongly support the activities of IAF and ILAC and an MRA/MLA signatory to both organizations.

EIAC conducted training on forensic and crime scene

The Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC) has conducted various training.

EIAC launched a new training series on the “Integrated Forensic Management System (EIAC-IFMSO)”. The module is developed by taking guidance from ILAC G19, with a strong emphasis on quality assurance aspects. Aspects from multiple standards including ISO/IEC17020, ISO/IEC 17025, and ISO 15189 are included across various forensic disciplines.

In this regard training was conducted on 23-27 September 2024. The training highlighted the future directions in integrated forensic testing and crime scene inspection & analysis, utilizing multiple management systems and its accreditation, with a specific focus on relevant forensic and criminology scopes.

Delegates had interactive sessions to understand the effective application of accreditation criteria in accordance with multiple standards. Mr. Mohammed Abdel Motagaly was the resource person for this training.

Series of ISO 15189 training including transition training to new version of ISO 15189 were conducted in May, June and October 2024.

ISO/IEC 17025 training and training on measurement uncertainty, method validation and metrological traceability were conducted in June, July and September 2024.

EIAC’s delegation attending APAC annual meetings

EIAC hosted ARAC executive committee meetings

EIAC granted accreditations to hospitals

EIAC’s delegation attending joint IAF-ILAC annual meetings

EIAC’s training on ISO forensic and crime scene

Medellín, Colombia.- The Dominican Accreditation Body (ODAC, by its acronym in Spanish) will host the next General Assembly of the Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC).

The announcement was made at the Thirty-Second General Assembly of the IAAC, held in the city of Medellín from August 18 to 23, which brought together more than 100 attendees from 27 countries in the Americas and the Caribbean region.
Once a year, all IAAC members hold technical meetings to contribute to the homologation of criteria for accreditation processes and international standards.

The discussions held at this event generate a positive impact on the quality infrastructure of the countries involved; in addition to serving as an incentive to promote competitiveness through the evaluation of accredited conformity.
The executive director of ODAC, Ángel David Taveras Difo, welcomed with great enthusiasm and commitment that the institution coordinates this activity for the first time.

“We assume this responsibility with integrity, which we are sure will enhance our country’s brand,” the official said.

The next general assembly is scheduled to take place on August 2025, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

It is common practice, according to ISO/IEC 17011, for the accreditation body (AB) to sample the activities of the conformity assessment body (CAB) when conducting the assessment. This is done under the understanding that in some cases it is not realistic to cover the entire scope of CAB activity. Selecting an appropriate sample through risk-based thinking is considered sufficient to establish whether the organization adheres to the requirements of the relevant level 3 standard or standards.

Of course, as risk-based activities go, there is always the possibility that we, as assessors, will miss some nonconformities. There are some mechanisms in AB’s processes to minimize such risks, such as getting a full, broad analysis from the CAB on any non-conformities that were raised. However, these are not foolproof. Healthy communication with other bodies is crucial to have a bigger picture and establish a continuous monitoring of CABs. Here are some examples of such providers of information:

Complaints and inquiries from customers – Although it is our policy to refer complainants to the relevant CAB first, there are some flags that can be raised from such communications. For example, ambiguity of the scope, contract or report, changes made to a standard method or issues regarding confidentiality. Such inquiries, even if handled by the CAB to the satisfaction of the complainant, should directly affect the risk analysis concerning the assessment of the organization, to the extent of conducting a surprise assessment or a document-based assessment regarding the requirements of the relevant clause in the specific field in which the subject was raised or it’s general application in the CAB’s activities.

Parallel assessments from regulators and other interested parties – Not all regulators rely exclusively on the assessment activities of the AB to assess laboratory activities, and apply an inspection system of their own, with emphasis on specific methods and adherence to regulatory requirements. Such assessment systems are usually field-specific. As such, the sample of activities assessed is taken from a smaller population of activities, and may certainly include activities that were not recently assessed by the AB. Such issues as required accuracy, sensitivity and measurement uncertainty and scope of the validation (i.e method limits) done by the laboratory may be raised. Other interested parties may raise other subjects such as problems with impartiality and confidentiality.

Proper communication between the AB and the mentioned parties is crucial, and provides a way to further the supervisory activities of the AB. However, there are some conditions for such a mechanism to be effective. The role of the AB needs to be fully understood by the interested parties, regulators and the CABs themselves. It should be clear that the supervision of the AB is not limited to the regular assessments, and if problems and issues are raised between assessment, it is not only allowed but expected that the AB examine such issues. Related to that, the strict confidentiality requirements between the AB and the CAB needs to be clear. This requires a level of trust from all sides. i.e, it is more than likely that the interested party will not get a report on how the CAB addressed and corrected the issue and would only get a response from the AB that the issue was corrected. Furthermore, it should be understood that the AB is not targeting one CAB or another. If the reason for the issue is ambiguity of the requirements, these should be clarified to all relevant CABs, either directly by the AB or the body (regulatory or otherwise) that is in charge of these requirements.

If the role and scope of responsibility of each of the interested parties is clear, and issues are handled with respect to all concerned sides, including the customers of the laboratory (who should be the major benefactors of CAB accreditation), such cooperation will benefit all sides, and all but ensure the clarity or requirements for such CABs and the continued improvement of the CABs activity.

The floriculture sector in Colombia plays a key role economic, social and environmental terms. It contributes significantly to job creation, especially in rural regions, and contributes to the country’s exports. Flower farming drives economic growth and projects a positive image of the country in international markets, consolidating itself as one of the leading players in the world flower trade.

In 2023, flowers were Colombia’s sixth largest export, making up 4.2% of total exports. The sector saw a 1% increase in export value, reaching $2.08 billion, and a decrease of 3.2% in volume to 310,000 tons compared to 2022. Over the past 32 years, flower exports have generally grown. In 2023, 10,500 hectares were dedicated to flower cultivation, with fresh-cut flowers for bouquets, roses, carnations, and pompons being the most widely grown.[1].

Source: MinCIT – DANE – Ceniflores. Own estimates. Research coordination for economic and social studies related to quality infrastructure.

The floriculture sector is a vital pillar in employment generation. By 2023, this industry contributed to creating around 200,000 jobs, of which 110,000 were directly employed, while the remaining 90,000 were attributed to indirect jobs. It is remarkable that, of the total staff, a significant 60% were women. This highlights the importance and empowerment of women in the field of floriculture, highlighting their essential contribution to the economic and social development of the sector.

Regarding the analysis of export destinations, in 2023, the United States was the largest buyer of Colombian flowers with 79.5%, as seen in Figure 2, followed by countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Japan, Spain and Poland, with less than 4%. According to Procolombia, it is during the Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day seasons that flowers in the sector[2] are most in demand. Other important dates are Thanksgiving Day and the Christmas season.

Source: DIAN – MinCIT. Own estimates. Research coordination for economic and social studies related to quality infrastructure.

In 2023, the total amount requested for appropriations reached 2,291, valued at 799 billion pesos. This marks a notable increase since 2016, reflecting the sector’s growth in exports. The rise in export value appears to encourage florists to seek higher foreign currency earnings, leading to increased investment in infrastructure and productivity-enhancing projects.

The growth of Colombia’s flower sector can also be seen in the increasing hectares dedicated to flower production. By 2023, the area reached approximately 10,000 hectares, despite a notable decrease in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This overall upward trend indicates rising demand for floral products and underscores the sector’s resilience and ongoing expansion, even amid challenges.

Relevance of certification

Florverde Sustainable Flowers is a private organization dedicated to the certification of a social and environmental standard for the flower sector. Founded by Asocolflores in 1996, it began as a social and environmental floriculture program. In 2002 it became a second-party verifier and the following year; it implemented elements of ISO 14000. In 2005 it included elements of a certification and a standard. In 2013 they changed the brand to Florverde Sustainable Flowers and in 2019 they sealed alliances and agreements with different entities for the recognition and improvement of standards.[3].

The main objectives of Florverde Seal are to promote sustainable agricultural practices within the flower industry and encourage sustainable development in the areas where flowers are grown. Some of the specific objectives are:

• Promote environmental conservation: The Florverde seal seeks to reduce the negative impact of flower production on the environment through sustainable agricultural practices that minimize the use of agrochemicals, protect biodiversity and promote the responsible management of natural resources.
• Improve working conditions: Another important objective is to guarantee fair and safe working conditions for workers in the flower industry. This involves respecting labor rights, providing a fair wage, ensuring a safe work environment, and promoting worker well-being and training.
• Contribute to social and economic development: Florverde seeks to be an engine of development in the communities where flowers are grown, through the generation of decent employment, support for education and health initiatives, and the promotion of community participation and local development sustainable.
• Guarantee the quality and safety of products: In addition to environmental and social aspects, the Florverde seal also focuses on the quality and safety of products. This implies compliance with quality standards in the production of flowers and ensuring the safety of the products for final consumers.

The criteria and standards that companies must meet to obtain Florverde certification cover various areas, including environmental, social and product quality aspects. Some of the general criteria that are usually part of this certification are:

• Use of agrochemicals: Companies must implement agricultural practices that minimize the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, prioritizing organic and biological methods.
• Water management: Measures must be implemented to conserve and efficiently use water, including efficient irrigation systems and water conservation technologies.
• Conservation of biodiversity: The protection and conservation of natural ecosystems and biodiversity in flower production areas is required.
• Waste management: Companies must implement appropriate systems for the management of agricultural and other waste, minimizing waste generation and promoting recycling and reuse.
• Working conditions: Compliance with international labor standards is required, including respect for human rights, non-discrimination, freedom of association and the payment of fair wages.
• Occupational health and safety: Measures must be implemented to ensure a safe and healthy work environment for employees, including occupational safety training and access to appropriate protective equipment.
• Community development: Companies must contribute to the sustainable development of local communities, supporting education, health, infrastructure and economic development initiatives.
• Product quality: Compliance with quality standards is required for the flowers produced, ensuring that they meet customer requirements and are safe for consumption.

To date, Florverde claims to have certified 4,682 hectares from 119 farms in Colombia and Ecuador for a total of 2.2 billion certified stems from these countries. [4]. They also have approval with the standards of the Rainforest Alliance and Global Social Compliance Programme. [5]. The final market for Florverde-certified flowers is in retailers and large stores in the United States such as Kroger, Wal-Mart and Costco, as well as wholesale sales.

Potential accreditation market

Being certified with the Florverde seal signifies a commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility for flower industry companies. This certification reflects adherence to sustainable agricultural practices, environmental conservation, and resource management. It also ensures product quality and safety, promotes fair and safe working conditions, and can enhance the company’s reputation and market access among consumers who prioritize sustainability and ethical business practices.

Additionally, ONAC provides accreditation services to support good agricultural practices across crops, animal production, and aquaculture, structured under 16 standards within the CPR framework for agriculture, forestry, and fishing.

For more detailed information, we invite you to visit our webpage and read the full study. Available in both English and Spanish, it offers comprehensive insights into the benefits and impact of the Florverde certification and ONAC’s accreditation services.

Visit our webpage to explore the full study:

 English: https://onac.org.co/en/market-study-of-accreditation-services-in-flor-verde-seal/onacs-blog/

 Spanish: https://onac.org.co/estudio-de-mercado-de-servicios-de-acreditacion-en-sello-florverde/blog-onac/

References

• (2024). Balance 2023 del sector floricultor. Available in https://www.agronegocios.co/agricultura/balance-2023-del-sector-floricultor-3777763
• (2023). Florverde Sustainable Flowers y Flor Ecuador Certified: una alianza ganadora que busca fortalecer el sector floricultor latinoamericano. Available in https://asocolflores.org/es/florverde-sustainable-flowers-y-flor-ecuador-certified-una-alianza-ganadora-que-busca-fortalecer-el-sector-floricultor-latinoamericano/
• Banco Mundial. (s.f.). Trade data: Colombia exports of flowers. Available in https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/ALL/year/2021/tradeflow/Exports/partner/WLD/product/060310#
• (s.f.). Sector floricultor. Available in https://ceniflores.org/sector-floricultor/
• (s.f.). About us: Who are we? Available in https://www.florverde.org/en/about-us-who-are-we/#history
• (s.f.). How to get FSF recognition with others. Available in https://www.florverde.org/en/how-to-get-fsf-recognition-with-others/
• Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA). (2024). ICA: Colombia exporta flores para San Valentín 2024. Available in https://www.ica.gov.co/noticias/ica-colombia-exporta-flores-san-valentin-2024
• Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo (MinCIT). (2024). Comercio exterior de Colombia. Available in https://www.mincit.gov.co/estudios-economicos/estadisticas-e-informes/comercio-exterior-de-colombia
• (s.f.). Organismos de certificación de producto. Available in https://onac.org.co/servicios/organismos-de-certificacion-de-producto/
• (2025). Gracias al trabajo de ProColombia con empresarios, las flores colombianas son protagonistas del día. Available in https://prensa.procolombia.co/gracias-al-trabajo-de-procolombia-con-empresarios-las-flores-colombianas-son-protagonistas-del-dia

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[1] Informe Asocolflores 2023. Available in: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RIj7S4yVqhn9Ka92G9HZlcQSU9sdyL1O/view

[2] Procolombia. Available in: https://prensa.procolombia.co/gracias-al-trabajo-de-procolombia-con-empresarios-las-flores-colombianas-son-protagonistas-del-dia

[3] https://www.florverde.org/en/about-us-who-are-we/#history

[4] https://www.florverde.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Brochure-Florverde-2024.pdf

[5] https://www.florverde.org/en/how-to-get-fsf-recognition-with-others/

Mexico City, October 24, 2024 – In commemoration of the International Day Against Climate Change, ema held a landmark event that brought together business leaders, representatives from Chambers and Associations, as well as accredited organizations to reaffirm their commitment to combating climate change. Under the initiative “Together with ema to Mitigate Climate Change,” this gathering marks a decisive step toward building a more sustainable and secure environment.

With over 25 years of experience, ema has become a cornerstone of Mexico’s quality infrastructure, promoting accreditation as a tool for sustainability. Today, ema holds over 8,100 accreditations more than 2,300 of them are directly focused on environmental issues, such as emissions control, water laboratory testing, and certification of resource-saving products. This reaffirms the importance of accreditation in climate management.

Concrete Commitments and Ambitious Goals

This event not only commemorated the day but also provided a platform for significant commitments. During the ceremony, more than 55 organizations expanded their accreditations in environmental standards, and 29 signatories, including accredited entities, chambers, and clusters, pledged to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieve impactful results by 2030. These 17 goals, adopted by all United Nations Member States, including Mexico, in 2015, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all, focusing specifically on SDG 13: Climate Action.

Experts in Environmental Issues Across Various Sectors

The event featured three keynote speakers, each an expert in their field. The representative from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) discussed the increasing number and severity of environmental challenges. The representative from Sigma Alimentos shared strategies and alternatives for responsible food production, and finally, an expert in Mexico’s financial sector explained new regulations the government will implement to boost the fight against climate change.

Driving Our Initiative Forward

With more than 30 national and international standards available to mitigate climate change, ema and the productive sectors present acknowledged the importance of not only meeting but leading environmental practices that ensure quality and foster consumer confidence. The Mexican Accreditation Entity invited all sectors to integrate sustainable actions into their processes and adopt accredited services that certify the environmental quality of their products. The initiative “Together with ema to Mitigate Climate Change” represents a collective movement towards a more conscious and committed Mexico in the protection of our planet.

In today’s fast-paced world, the importance of quality assurance in various sectors cannot be overstated. To meet this demand, the Quality and Accreditation Institute (QAI) was established with a clear mission: to create a robust ecosystem that promotes education, training, quality improvement, and accreditation.

At QAI, we believe that sharing knowledge and experiences among professionals and organisations is crucial for advancing quality standards. Our goal is to provide a platform for stakeholders to collaborate, exchange insights, and ultimately realize our vision of enhanced quality across industries.

A significant initiative under QAI is the establishment of the accreditation of Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) under Centre for International Accreditation (CIA). This vertical of QAI aims to offer a comprehensive accreditation programme tailored to the needs of various stakeholders, including government bodies, industry associations, and businesses. We provide accreditation to CABs across several key areas, ensuring that quality standards are maintained and recognised globally.

Our accreditation covers:

Medical Laboratories (ISO 15189): Ensuring that the labs provide accurate and reliable results, which is vital for patient safety.
Certification of Medical Laboratories as per the requirements of the Central Clinical Establishments Act.
Biobanks (ISO 20387): Our accreditation guarantees that biobanks operate under stringent quality controls, ensuring the integrity of biological samples.
Proficiency Testing Providers (ISO/ IEC 17043): PT providers help organisations evaluate their testing processes and outcomes.
Testing Laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025): Ensuring rigorous testing processes that uphold quality and reliability in results.
Calibration Laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025): These labs play a crucial role in maintaining the accuracy of measuring instruments.
Inspection Bodies (ISO/ IEC 17020): We ensure that inspection bodies conduct their evaluations with a high degree of reliability and integrity.
Reference Material Producers (IS/ISO 17034): This ensures that producers of reference materials maintain the highest standards for the materials used in testing and calibration.

Through these initiatives, QAI is committed to fostering a culture of quality that transcends industries. We invite professionals and organizations to join us in this endeavour, sharing their expertise and collaborating towards a common goal of excellence.

Together, we can build a future where quality is not just an aspiration, but a fundamental standard across all sectors.

Milestones Achieved by QAI: Paving the Way for Excellence

As we look back on our journey, QAI is proud to highlight a series of significant milestones that reflect our commitment to advancing quality and accreditation:

• • Expanding Global Horizons: QAI CIA enjoys MRA for Testing (ISO/IEC 17025) and Medical (ISO 15189) since December 2022. QAI has proudly extended its reach across continents, accrediting six medical laboratories in Bangladesh, Nepal, Mongolia, Maldives, and Ghana, alongside eight testing laboratories in Bahrain, South Africa, Qatar, Myanmar and Bangladesh. We also celebrated the accreditation of a calibration laboratory in Bahrain, marking our commitment to quality on a global scale.
  • Empowering Excellence: With over 100 trained assessors now equipped to evaluate quality standards, QAI is enhancing the landscape of accreditation, ensuring that our assessments are both rigorous and insightful.
  • Pioneering Biobanking Standards: Our dedication to advancing biobanking has led to the accreditation of both private (Biobanking Facility at Karkinos Healthcare) and government biobanks (Biorepository Facility at the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute in Faridabad, an organisation under the Department of Biotechnology and the Centre for Brain Research Biobank at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru. These achievements underscore our role in supporting cutting-edge research, development and innovation.
  • Achieving Accreditation Milestones: QAI CIA has successfully completed the accreditation process for over 100 laboratories. This accomplishment showcases our commitment to maintaining excellence in laboratory practices worldwide.

   

  

• As we celebrate these remarkable milestones together, we want you to remember that quality is a journey, not a destination. Here at the Quality and Accreditation Institute, we envision a world where excellence is truly embedded in every industry.

  By collaborating—sharing our knowledge, experiences, and best practices—we can elevate standards and inspire the next generation of quality leaders. It’s exciting to think about the potential we have to drive progress and make a real impact.

  Let’s embrace the future with optimism. Each step we take towards enhancing quality brings us closer to a brighter, more accountable world. Together, we can create a legacy of excellence that resonates for years to come. Quality isn’t just our goal; it’s our commitment to a better tomorrow.

Jordan Accreditation and Standardization Systems – Accreditation Unit (JAS-AU) hosted the closing ceremony of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization -The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

Closing ceremony of the UNIDO-SIDA regional project “Enhancing Accreditation Value Chain in the Arab Region”

4 March 2024 – Amman, Jordan

(UNIDO-SIDA) project “Enhancing Accreditation Value Chain in the Arab Region.” This was a pivotal event for all project stakeholders, as it gave a unique opportunity to show the transformative changes achieved by the UNIDO-SIDA project in the area of quality infrastructure and regional trade integration for the benefits of Arab countries.

The event successfully brought together more than 100 participants to discuss achievements and prospects for regional trade integration during a strategic event organized on 4 March 2024, in Amman, Jordan. The event was held under the patronage of, The Minister of Industry, Trade, and Supply of Jordan. It marked a key milestone in strengthening the regional quality infrastructure after years of collaborative efforts between ARAC and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), and the Arab Industrial Development, Standards, and Mining Organizations (AIDSMO).

Throughout the event, sharing knowledge, lessons learned, and best practices generated by the project, in particular by demonstrating how project interventions at three different layers (institutional support to Arab Accreditation Cooperation (ARAC) and its members, intermediary support to Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs), and enterprise-level support) are interrelated and interdependent and all contributed to achieving the same objective.

The event explored the way forward and discussed recommendations for accelerating regional trade integration through potential replication/scale-up in Jordan and the entire Arab region.
The different sessions were conducted in a highly visual and interactive format by giving the floor to key project stakeholders, with a special emphasis on beneficiaries, including ARAC, CABs, and Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

On 1 March 2024, Cofrac opened up accreditation for the inspection of independent operators, remote service providers and their employees who need to access to information relating to the repair and maintenance of vehicles with regard to safety.

What is SERMI ?

SERMI is a European association set up to develop, operate and maintain a specific system aimed at regulating the terms of access to information and security data concerning the repair and maintenance of vehicles made available to independent operators. It is jointly managed by vehicle manufacturers and independent operators as stakeholders. The aim of the system developed by SERMI is to approve and authorize independent operators working in the European automotive aftermarket to allow them to access sensitive vehicle data, related to security, for repair and vehicle maintenance.

How was this new accreditation developed?

This system is a European initiative driven by Regulation (EC) No. 692/20081 and taken up by Regulation (EU) No. 2017/1152. The foundations laid in 2017 were reinforced by Regulation (EU) No. 2018/8583 which specifies the forum’s activities and responsibilities in Annex 10.

In 2018, the forum, now SERMI drew up the accreditation scheme and asked ENAC, the Spanish national accreditation body, to analyse and validate it at the European level. The publication of delegated regulation (EU) n°2021/12444, which will modify Annex 10, clarifies responsibilities and the implementation of the SERMI scheme, in particular with the addition of Appendix 3 on the approval and authorization procedure for independent operators’ access to safety devices.

Following these changes, SERMI amended the accreditation scheme which was formally approved by the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) in May 2023.

How does the SERMI scheme work

To meet the obligation to publish the security data required for vehicle maintenance, each manufacturer has a dedicated website with secure access. To log in and access the safety information he needs, the technician working for an independent operator needs secure authentication. The Trust Center plays a crucial role in the system. Established in the context of the implementation of this European regulation, it validates access to manufacturers’ data by authorizing requests only if they come from authorized persons. To obtain authorization keys, operators and their employees must be inspected by an accredited inspection body.

How does the introduction of the accreditation system mean?

Cofrac introduced accreditation on March 1 2024 for type A inspection bodies in compliance with EN ISO/IEC 17020 standard. Under this accreditation system, the independent operator applies to the accredited inspection body for the approval and authorization for one or more of its employees.

The inspection is carried out in two stages:

• Stage 1:an approval inspection to examine elements concerning the operator or remote service provider as a legal entity. If the result of the inspection is positive, the independent operator obtains an approval valid for five years.
• Second stage: a nominative authorization inspection of one or more of the independent operator’s employees. if the result of the inspection is favorable, the independent operator’s employees receive an authorization valid for five years. The inspection body then communicates the positive results to the Trust Center which will create digital authorization certificates and access identifiers (PIN Codes). These elements transmitted to each authorized employee of an independent operator approved by the inspection body, will enable technicians, during upkeep and maintenance operations based on the security information, to authenticate themselves securely on manufacturer platforms to access the required information.

For the operational implementation of the accreditation system, the Inspection department has trained and qualified a technical assessor r with solid experience of the context and operation of operators involved in vehicle maintenance and repair. Since June 21, the first inspection body has been accredited to carry out SERMI inspections.

National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL), India PTP/RMP Conclave, 2024

The 8th PTP/RMP Conclave was held on the 30th and 31st of August 2024, organized by the NABL at Mysuru, Karnataka, India.

NABL has been hosting this annual conclave for Proficiency Testing Providers (PTPs) and Reference Material Producers (RMPs) since 2017, consistently in the month of August.

The Objective of the conclave is to address key challenges and promoting continuous improvement through competition among PTPs & RMPs. Also, the event provides the latest developments and innovations relevant to PTPs and RMPs, ensuring they stay informed and aligned with industry advancements.
The conclave was attended by about 140 delegates, including representatives from PTPs, RMPs, laboratories, distinguished dignitaries from various government and regulatory bodies.

This conclave serves as a collaborative platform for PTPs, RMPs and other stakeholders, facilitating the exchange of ideas and expertise through case study presentations.

Conclave Highlights

To address key challenges and promoting continuous improvement through competition among PTPs & RMPs, the participation of accredited PTPs and RMPs showcased expertise in proficiency testing and reference material production. Each RMP presented their specific production strategies. They presented their comprehensive production plans for reference materials, detailing their methodologies and approaches to ensure quality & consistency of production. In parallel, each PTP demonstrated their proficiency testing schemes, emphasizing the design and conduct of Proficiency testing. They discussed the challenges they encountered and the strategies employed to address them.

Panel of Experts evaluated the presentations and the top presenters were awarded trophies.

PTPs and RMPs also showcased their work through Posters. Best poster was awarded.

WINNER

First Runner-Up

Second runner-up

Announcement of 2025 Conclave

• Edition: 9th PTP/RMP Conclave 2025
• Theme: Sustainability in PT Services and Reference Material Production
• Date: August 21-22, 2025
• Venue: Chandigarh, Punjab, India
• Registration details will soon available on NABL, Website (www.nabl-india.org).

Contact Details of NABL

Ms Anita Rani
Joint Director & Head – PTP & RMP Accreditation Program
National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)
Plot No. 45, Sector 44, Gurugram – 122003, Haryana, India
Phone: 91-124-4679700 (30 lines); 91-124-4594800/801/802;
Fax: 91-124-4679799
Website: www.nabl-india.org
Email: anita@nabl.qcin.org