Below is a selection of videos addressing various aspects of accreditation including definitions, importance in the delivery of competent conformity assessment activities as well as its role in the overall quality infrastructure for economies. Additional videos are available from the IAF/ILAC YouTube channel.
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has published ‘Quality and Standards and Their Role in Responding to COVID-19‘, a document examining the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on trade and the role that the quality infrastructure can play in mitigating negative impacts and supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
IAF and ILAC have produced a video highlighting the role accreditation, as one of the pillars of the quality infrastructure, has in supporting the SDGs and in particular helping those dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic via the use of accredited conformity assessment services.
Accreditation of conformity assessment bodies ensures the reliability of conformity assessment results, and mutual recognition arrangements like the ILAC MRA and IAF MLA enable the flow of goods across borders. Application of standards ensures the quality of medical testing and medical supplies, while international recognition of accreditation prevents delays in their acceptance and distribution.
Additionally, to encourage the sharing of knowledge during the pandemic, UNIDO held a series of webinars on the role of conformity assessment during the crisis. Videos of the webinars are now available on the UNIDO Youtube channel and transcripts are available on the Trade, Investment and Innovation Knowledge Hub.
Accreditation, including accredited calibration, testing, medical testing, inspection and proficiency testing providers, plays a significant role in delivering confidence in everyday life as well supporting regulators and trade.
Measurements are a critical aspect of everyday life! The SI is a globally-agreed system of measurements used to ensure our everyday units of measurement, for example the kilogram, metre and second remain comparable and consistent would wide. The world’s scientific and technical community is about to redefine four of the seven base units for the SI. A vote to adopt the change will be held on November 16, 2018 at the General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) at the Palais des Congrès in Versailles.
Standards, accreditation and conformity assessment are market-based tools that can be used by Government policy makers to deliver better regulation, environmental protection, public safety, fraud prevention, fair markets and public trust. These tools are not as widely known and understood, or used, as they should be. However, there are many instances around the world where the public sector has embraced accredited conformity assessment as a means of delivering public policy objectives.
Note: This video includes subtitles in Arabic, Chinese (Taiwan), Croatian, Dutch, English, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovenian and Turkish.
Twelve international organizations (BIPM, IAF, IEC, ILAC, ISO, ITC, ITU, OIML, UNECE, UNIDO, WBG and WTO) have renewed their commitment to promote quality through INetQI (formerly DCMAS) to enhance their cooperation in promoting the understanding, value and acceptance of the quality infrastructure and providing guidance and support for its effective implementation and integration worldwide in responding to the challenges of globalization, trade and sustainable development.
Note: This video includes subtitles in English.
Accreditation, including accredited calibration, testing, medical testing and inspection, plays a vital role in delivering confidence in everyday life.
Note: This video includes subtitles in Arabic, Chinese (China), Chinese (Hong Kong), Chinese (Taiwan), Croatian, Czech, Dutch, English, French (France), French (Africa), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Macedonian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese (Portugal), Portuguese (Brazil), Romanian, Russian (Belarus), Russian (Kazakhstan), Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish (Chile), Swahili, Thai and Vietnamese.
Accreditation is the independent evaluation of conformity assessment bodies against recognised standards to carry out specific activities to ensure their impartiality and competence. Through the application of national and international standards, government, procurers and consumers can have confidence in the calibration and test results, inspection reports and certifications provided.
Note: This video includes subtitles in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Croatian, Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Macedonian, Polish, Portuguese (Portugal), Portuguese (Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Thai and Ukrainian.
Accreditation is used to support the work of Regulators. Accreditation provides confidence in the competence and integrity of conformity assessment activities that can be used to support the implementation of government policies and regulations that impact on health, welfare, security and the environment. This short film explores the benefits of accreditation for governments, markets and consumers.
Note: This video includes subtitles in Arabic, Chinese (Traditional), English, French, Japanese, Korean, Slovak, Spanish (Mexico) and Thai.