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2024 Annual Meeting of the International Seed Testing Association Set to Commemorate Centennial Milestone in Cambridge, UK
Wallisellen, Switzerland – April 05, 2024 – The International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) is thrilled to announce that the highly anticipated 2024 Annual Meeting will be held in the historic city of Cambridge, UK, from July 1st to July 4th, at the Cambridge Union Society in Cambridge, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This year’s gathering holds special significance as it coincides with the remarkable centennial anniversary of ISTA, marking a century of progress in seed quality assurance.
ISTA, a globally renowned association dedicated to promoting uniformity in seed testing procedures and standards, has been at the forefront of fostering innovation and ensuring the quality and reliability of seeds worldwide since its inception in 1924. As it celebrates its hundredth year of advancing the science and practice of seed testing, the 2024 Annual Meeting promises to be an event of unparalleled significance and impact.
Set against the backdrop of the illustrious University of Cambridge, this year’s meeting will bring together leading experts, researchers, industry professionals, and stakeholders from around the world. Attendees can expect a comprehensive program featuring insightful presentations, engaging meetings, and interactive discussions on the latest advancements, trends, and challenges in seed testing, quality assurance, and seed technology.
In addition to the academic and professional sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to explore the picturesque city of Cambridge, renowned for its historic architecture, cultural heritage, and world-class research institutions. The meeting venue, nestled amidst the stunning landscapes and iconic landmarks of Cambridge, will provide an inspiring setting for networking and fostering collaborations among participants.
Registration for the 2024 Annual Meeting of ISTA is open, with early bird discounts available for a limited time, until 30 April 2024.
For more information about the program, registration, venues and accommodations, please visit the official conference website at ISTA2024.
Join us in Cambridge from July 1st to June 4th, 2024, as we commemorate a hundred years of excellence in seed testing and embark on a new era of innovation and collaboration in ensuring global food security and sustainability.
To register click Here
The BIML is pleased to inform you that a series of webinars has been planned, organised by the OIML Digitalisation Task Group (OIML DTG).
The first webinar in the series will be held on Tuesday, 23 April 2024 from 12:00 to 14:00 CEST (“Paris time”) on “The fundamentals of digitalisation in the quality infrastructure”.
It will be based on the January 2024 OIML Bulletin article which reported on the Chiang Mai Seminar, and the main speaker will be Dr Sascha Eichstädt, Chair of the OIML DTG.
The webinar will last approximately two hours and will include presentations followed by an open discussion session.
Please distribute this information within your organisations. To pre-register for the webinar, please click Here
On 4 April Etty Feller, ILAC Chair presented at the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Working Party 6, Forum 3 on Digitalization of Quality Infrastructure Processes, looking at current trends in the use of technologies in accreditation, and challenges that these may cause.
Background
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) was set up in 1947. It is one of five regional commissions of the United Nations, and its major aim is to promote pan-European economic integration. UNECE includes 56 member States in Europe, North America and Asia. Over 70 international professional organizations and other non-governmental organizations also take part in UNECE activities.
The Working Party on Regulatory Cooperation and Standardization Policies (WP6) encourages increased regulatory coherence in specific sectors that have a critical impact on sustainable development and promotes greater resilience to natural and man-made hazards. WP6 also works to:
The project has already delivered a paper detailing how standardization and harmonization of regulations are necessary for the transition to a digital, green economy. More information about the WP.6 AI project is available here: https://unece.org/trade/wp6/digital-regulation-goods-artificial-intelligence
The Forum
WP6 hosted its Third Forum from 2 to 5 April 2024 focused on Green Digital Transformation including AI. Digital technologies are opening up new possibilities for economic development, policy implementation and the management of public services. They also offer the potential for an improved management of natural resources and facilitate the shift towards a circular economy by filling information gaps, increasing efficiency and making new forms of economic activity possible, including changes in production and consumption patterns.
The Advisory Group on Market Surveillance (MARS) was established in 2003 to promote global trade and economic cooperation. It actively brings together member States to discuss best practice for countering sub-standard and counterfeit goods. It has developed comprehensive guidance and serves as a forum of best practice and development of recommendation guidelines. Market surveillance is a set of activities by designated authorities to ensure that products comply with mandatory requirements and do not endanger any aspect of public interest. This involves proper calibration of machinery and measurements (metrology) as well as actively engaging with other border control agencies such as customs.
The conference looked at current trends in the use of technologies in quality infrastructure and challenges that this may cause. Market surveillance authorities, conformity assessment bodies, testing laboratories and standards development organizations were invited to attend the conference.
Speakers
Reducing carbon footprint
Digitalization of quality infrastructure processes
Further information on the work of the UNECE and WP6 is available here
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
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:
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.
[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:
“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.”
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/ .
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 Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google 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.
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 endeavour; and providing a series of congresses, conferences and focussed meetings, in order for laboratory medicine specialists ot meet and present original findings and best practice.
We are pleased to announce a joint IFCC – ILAC webinar “Quality System in Labs and Accreditation – Challenges of the new ISO 15189:2022”. The aim of the webinar is to share knowledge on the importance of accreditation in the medical field.
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.
The Webinar will take place on Tuesday 19 March 2024 from 13:00 to 14:30 (UTC+01:00). A link and login details will be posted on this website as soon as they are available.
Today is Zero Discrimination Day!