- Welcome Guest
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At the recent IAF/ILAC Joint Annual Meetings held in Bangkok, Thailand, Brahim Houla was elected as the next Chair of the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated. In a video message, Mr. Houla shares his reflections on this significant moment for the global accreditation community and outlines what lies ahead as the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated prepares to launch on 01 January 2026.
Mr. Houla emphasises that the formation of the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated will bring together the work of IAF and ILAC under a single organisation and global recognition arrangement.
‘This is more than a new name,’ Mr. Houla explains. ‘It represents the harmony of two organisations creating one global voice for trust, quality and sustainable progress.’
The Chair-Elect describes this development as a celebration of unity, clarity and shared purpose, highlighting the benefits of a simplified and strengthened system that reduces duplication, increases consistency and builds stronger global trust. He reassures stakeholders that accreditation will remain recognised and services will continue seamlessly through the transition.
‘This is a new beginning, the start of a transition built on competence, integrity, and cooperation,’ says Mr. Houla, encouraging all members, partners and stakeholders to engage with and adopt the new structure as the global accreditation community moves forward together.
Watch the full message at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp4HFxWl56A
IAF and ILAC members, partners and stakeholders convened in Bangkok, Thailand, this October for the second General Assembly (GA) of the new organisation Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated, which was held during the IAF/ILAC Joint Annual Meetings.
Delegates from around the world attended the GA, which marked several historic milestones, including formal steps to wind down IAF and ILAC.
Membership numbers increased significantly, with applications that had been submitted by 21 October being approved. The breakdown of new members is as follows:
All six of the existing Regional Cooperation Bodies (RCBs) also joined the organisation, ensuring a seamless transition to the new Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MRA). This brings the total number of Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated members to 159.
Procedural and guidance documents were approved at the meeting, enabling the new organisation to function as a complete entity from 1 January 2026. Processes for establishing the new MRA and transfer of the ILAC MRA Mark and licencing of the IAF MLA Mark to Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated were also formalised. The ILAC and IAF Secretariats are now busy finalising the remaining documents that will be needed from 1 January.
Members elected Brahim Houla from the GCC Accreditation Center, Saudi Arabia as the Chair-elect and Emanuele Riva from Accredia, Italy as the Vice Chair-elect. Both will commence their three-year terms on 1 January 2026, when the new organisation is launched., when the new organisation is launched.
The existing transitional Executive Committee will continue in the role until 31 December, after which the new Executive will take over. Committee Chair elections will take place in November and December 2025, while new membership applications will continue to be approved through the end of the year, ensuring all newly joined organisations can participate in the upcoming Committee Vice Chair elections in early 2026.
General administrative matters were also reported during the meeting, such as insurance, budget, membership fees, communications and future meetings.
Members noted that the next general meetings of Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated, including the third General Assembly, would be held in Prague, Czech Republic from 20 – 26 April 2026.
The meeting concluded with heartfelt thanks to the One Organisation Project Steering Committee members, the IAF/ILAC Joint Executive Committee members and all the volunteers whose hard work over the preceding six years has turned the dream of becoming one global voice for trust, quality, and sustainable progress into reality.
Further information is available from: secretariat@global-accreditation.nz
IAF and ILAC members, partners and stakeholders convened in Bangkok, Thailand, this October for the 2025 IAF/ILAC Joint Annual Meetings. Over the course of ten days, delegates from around the world took part in committee meetings, strategic workshops and general assemblies that marked both the culmination of decades of joint work and the beginning of a new era in international accreditation.
The meetings brought together a wide range of activities, including IAF and ILAC committee meetings, the IAF Board meeting, and the separate and joint General Assemblies of both organisations. During the same week, delegates also held the second General Assembly of the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated, the new organisation that will formally succeed IAF and ILAC beginning 01 January 2026.
A major focus throughout the week was preparing for this shift. The launch of the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated represents the next step in a long-standing collaboration between IAF and ILAC, unifying their missions into a single trusted international accreditation organisation. In Bangkok, members approved documents and discussed how existing technical and policy work would continue seamlessly under the new structure, ensuring that the accreditation community will continue giving individuals and organisations worldwide the confidence to trust the accredited processes and results they depend on.
A series of workshops throughout the week highlighted the diversity of topics shaping the future of accreditation. Sessions explored themes such as the growing role of artificial intelligence in conformity assessment, priorities in the field of sustainability, and the role of the conformity assessment ecosystem in supporting regulatory initiatives through mechanisms such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The workshops provided valuable opportunities for members to exchange insights and strengthen cooperation.
In closing remarks, IAF Chair Emanuele Riva and ILAC Chair Etty Feller reflected on the historical significance of the Bangkok meetings. They noted that this gathering marked the final time the two organisations would meet in their current forms, a symbolic handover to a unified organisation that will provide one internationally recognised accreditation framework.
The Bangkok meetings were not only an opportunity to review progress and technical achievements but also a moment to celebrate the community’s shared commitment to quality, confidence and collaboration. The launch of the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated on 01 January will build on that legacy, carrying forward the principles of IAF and ILAC into a unified future for global accreditation.
We welcome Nigeria National Accreditation System (NiNAS), Nigeria, as a Full Member of ILAC.
NiNAS joined ILAC as an Affiliate member on 15 December 2017 and then Associate member on 12 June 2018. As NiNAS is a signatory to the AFRAC MRA for the accreditation of calibration and testing laboratories using ISO/IEC 17025, medical testing using ISO 15189 and inspection using ISO/IEC 17020, NiNAS has also been granted signatory status to the ILAC MRA and therefore, Full membership of ILAC.
We welcome NiNAS as a Full Member and look forward to working with our NiNAS colleagues.
The full list of signatories to the ILAC MRA is available here.
The International Society of Organoid Research (ISoOR), Singapore, is welcomed as a Stakeholder member of ILAC.
We welcome ISoOR and look forward to working with our ISoOR colleagues.
IAF and ILAC have published a new issue of IAF/ILAC A2: IAF-ILAC Multi-Lateral Mutual Recognition Arrangements (Arrangements): Requirements and Procedures for Evaluation of an Accreditation Body, which introduces updates aimed at strengthening the evaluation process for accreditation bodies.
The document continues to serve as the reference for Regional Accreditation Groups, ILAC and IAF for evaluating single accreditation bodies for the purpose of signing applicable mutual recognition arrangements. These organisations are required to follow the specified requirements and implement procedures in alignment with IAF/ILAC A2.
The new issue includes a number of key changes:
These revisions aim to improve consistency, adaptability and technical depth in the evaluation of single accreditation bodies, supporting the continued credibility and reliability of the global and regional mutual recognition arrangements.
View the document here
We welcome Azerbaijan Accreditation Centre (AzAK), Azerbaijan, as a Full Member of ILAC.
AzAK joined ILAC as an Affiliate member on 5 October 2012 and then Associate member on 2 March 2018. As AzAK is a signatory to the APAC MRA for the accreditation of calibration and testing laboratories using ISO/IEC 17025, AzAK has also been granted signatory status to the ILAC MRA and therefore, Full membership of ILAC.
We welcome AzAK as a Full Member and look forward to working with our AzAK colleagues.
The full list of signatories to the ILAC MRA is available here.
The signatory status of Organismo Uruguayo de Acreditación (OUA), Uruguay, to the ILAC MRA has been extended to include the accreditation of Inspection (ISO/IEC 17020).
The full list of signatories to the ILAC MRA is available from https://ilac.org/signatory-search/ .
We welcome Icelandic Service for Accreditation (ISAC), Iceland, as a Full Member of ILAC.
As ISAC is a signatory to the EA MLA for the accreditation of inspection bodies using ISO/IEC 17020, ISAC has been granted signatory status to the ILAC MRA and therefore, Full membership of ILAC.
We welcome ISAC and look forward to working with our ISAC colleagues.
The full list of signatories to the ILAC MRA is available here.
The signatory status of Vietnam Institute of Accreditation (VACI), Vietnam, to the ILAC MRA has been extended to include the accreditation of Medical Testing (ISO 15189) and Inspection (ISO/IEC 17020).
The full list of signatories to the ILAC MRA is available from https://ilac.org/signatory-search/ .