IAF has published IAF ID 17:2025 IAF Informative Document on Risk Policy for Counterfeit Certificates (Issue 1). This informative document aims to harmonize the risk policies of IAF members concerning counterfeit certificates, and serves as a framework for strengthening risk management across member organizations.

Counterfeit certificates, which falsely assert that an organization, product, service, claim or other object of conformity assessment has been properly accredited, certified, validated or verified, pose a growing threat to the credibility of accreditation and conformity assessment systems. Counterfeit certificates can erode public trust, undermine legitimate business activities and compromise safety, making effective risk management essential for all involved stakeholders.

IAF ID 17 outlines a systematic risk management approach tailored to the needs of accreditation bodies, certification bodies and validation and verification bodies. This process involves identifying, assessing, mitigating and monitoring risks associated with counterfeit certificates through the implementation of policies, procedures and controls.

By adopting the principles outlined in the document, IAF members can enhance their risk management capabilities and contribute to the overall integrity and reliability of conformity assessment processes worldwide.

The document is available here.