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During its recent meetings from March 13 to 15, the World Trade Organization (WTO)’s Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) adopted new guidelines (G/TBT/54) to support regulators in selecting and designing conformity assessment procedures.
The guidelines’ main goal is to assist regulators in ensuring that conformity assessment procedures do not create unnecessary obstacles to international trade while verifying compliance with technical regulations and standards. The guidelines note the value of accreditation in providing confidence in conformity assessment body activities, and how the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) and ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) can support the global acceptance of conformity assessment results.
Additionally, members agreed on guidelines for notifying measures they have implemented to uphold the TBT Agreement. The guidelines will facilitate access to information on government agencies involved in standards and regulations.
In line with a ministerial declaration adopted at the WTO’s 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13), members noted the importance of dialogue and cooperation on standards and regulations in addressing emerging challenges such as climate change, human health, and the digital economy.
Read more about the meeting 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
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!
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.
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.
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
[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/ .
Today is Zero Discrimination Day!