International Accreditation Forum
The International Accreditation Forum is an international association of conformity assessment accreditation bodies and other bodies interested in conformity assessment in fields like management systems, products, services, personnel, processes, and validation and verification.
The IAF's primary function is to develop a worldwide program of conformity assessment which reduces risk for businesses and their customers by assuring them that accredited certificates and validation and verification statements may be relied upon.
IAF accreditation body members accredit certification or validation and verification bodies that issue certificates or statements attesting that an organization is complying with a specified standard.
History
The International Accreditation Forum was established in April 1993 in Geneva, Switzerland, during a meeting of accreditation bodies responsible for quality system certification programs and related activities. Its primary objective at inception was to develop a unified approach to accreditation and to facilitate mutual recognition among national accreditation systems.In January 1998, the IAF introduced the Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) for quality management systems. Fourteen accreditation bodies signed the first MLA in Guangzhou, China, which allowed certificates issued by accredited certification bodies in one country to be recognized in other member countries without the need for re-certification.
The organization's scope expanded over time. In October 2004, during the IAF General Assembly in Cape Town, South Africa, members signed an MLA for environmental management systems, adding ISO 14001 certification to the list of mutually recognized programs.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, IAF continued to extend the MLA to cover additional standards, including those for product certification, validation and verification, and greenhouse gas emission statements. By 2019, IAF membership had grown to include accreditation bodies and stakeholder organizations from approximately 90 economies worldwide.
Role
The primary purpose of IAF is two-fold. Firstly, to ensure that its accreditation body members only accredit bodies that are competent to do the work they undertake and are not subject to conflicts of interest.The second purpose of the IAF is to maintain a mutual recognition arrangement, known as the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement, between its accreditation body members. This reduces risks to business and customers by ensuring that an accredited certificate may be relied upon anywhere in the world. The MLA eliminating the need for suppliers to be certified in each country where they sell their products or services.
The work of ILAC and IAF is strongly aligned to key projects of UNIDO and UNECE, which promote the adoption of accreditation to facilitate trade, provide employment opportunities, and to facilitate exports and foreign direct investment. The relationship between UNIDO, the IAF and ILAC aims to enhance the impact of industrial development on economic growth and achieving the SDGs.