On 06 June 2024, IAF Chair Mr. Emanuele Riva, invited by China’s State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) and China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS), attended China’s 2024 World Accreditation Day (WAD) event held in Xiong’an New Area, Hebei Province, China. He delivered a notable speech at this event.
Mr. Riva commended CNAS for conducting accreditation in an impartial, competent, efficient, authoritative, and credible manner in accordance with relevant national laws and regulations, international standards, and the rules and principles of IAF and ILAC. He highlighted IAF’s essential role in enhancing the credibility and consistency of conformity assessment worldwide through initiatives focused on sustainability, development of artificial intelligence (AI) conformity assessment frameworks, recognition of conformity assessment results, collaboration with regional bodies, and advocacy efforts. These initiatives aim to meet the evolving needs of IAF members and stakeholders, ensuring the integrity and trustworthiness of conformity assessment for the benefit of businesses, organizations, and society as a whole.
Mr. Riva emphasized sustainability as a key focus for IAF. In today’s world, sustainability is a critical consideration for businesses and organizations globally. Recognizing this, IAF has established the Sustainability Working Group, which aims to develop assurance schemes, address environmental, social and governance (ESG) verification, reporting, and rating, and explore the emerging fields of net-zero and carbon markets. IAF is also actively engaged in discussions and initiatives related to AI, including the implementation of the Walbrook AI Accord, which underscores the importance of human interaction in AI verification and standard development.
Another significant focus area for IAF is the recognition of conformity assessment results. The expanding global network of conformity assessment bodies accredited by IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) signatories strengthens the key objective of the MLA, which not only eliminates unnecessary multiple certifications but also reduces time to market and additional costs for businesses. Mr. Riva also stressed the importance of collaboration with regional cooperation bodies, which foster harmonization and mutual recognition among accreditation bodies, promoting the use of existing international multilateral mutual recognition arrangements. Furthermore, IAF recognizes the value of advocacy and collaboration with stakeholders. To enhance the visibility and value of the IAF MLA, it is essential to engage with authorities and market players.
China’s 2024 WAD event, organized by SAMR with full support from CNAS, was also named the First China Certification and Accreditation Conference. The conference theme, “Accreditation and Conformity Assessment: Innovation, Cooperation, Future,” echoed the 2024 WAD theme “Accreditation: Empowering Tomorrow and Shaping the Future.” Mr. Pu Chun, Vice Minister of SAMR, Mr. Zhao Dachun, Deputy Governor of Hebei Province, and Mr. Riva addressed the conference. This was followed by excellent speeches and presentations from representatives of UNIDO, ISO/CASCO, the IEC Conformity Assessment Board and the TIC Council, as well as distinguished speakers from CNAS, local government departments, conformity assessment bodies, businesses, academia, research institutes and other stakeholders.
The China Certification and Accreditation Conference aims to provide a platform for exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign governmental authorities, conformity assessment communities, industries and other relevant stakeholders, through activities such as policy research, strategic planning, technical exchanges, consultations and dialogues in the field of conformity assessment, to enhance the service level, social influence, and international contribution of China’s accreditation and conformity assessment.
