Membership is open to entities that meet the criteria defined in the General Rules (GOV-002) Section 4. There are four main membership categories: 

1.Full Members – accreditation bodies that meet eligibility and recognition requirements and are MRA signatories; 

2. Associate Members – accreditation bodies that, while not yet signatories to the MRA, operate accreditation schemes recognised under the MRA and can provide evidence that they are operational and committed to comply with the requirements set out in relevant standards established by appropriate international standards writing bodies such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and are recognised in their economy as offering an accreditation service;

3. Stakeholder Members – organisations with a demonstrable interest in accreditation as per the General Rules (GOV-002) section 4.6(3):  

(a) Associations of Conformity Assessment Bodies, or 

(b) Associations of users (industries or consumer associations), or 

(c) Standardisation Organisations, or 

(d) Metrology Organisations, or 

(e) Regulators, or 

(f) Scheme owners with a wide representation in their membership at an international, regional or national level, or 

(g) Associations of scheme owners, or similar bodies, or 

(h) Representatives of regulatory schemes. 

4. Regional Cooperation Bodies – organisations representing groups of accreditation bodies in specific geographic regions. 

As of 1 January 2026, members include entities that were previously members of IAF or ILAC and that applied for and were accepted into Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated under the new membership framework. 

Last Update: October 10, 2025.