The International Accreditation Forum (IAF), the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in a signing ceremony held on 30 October during the 2018 Joint IAF-ILAC Annual Meetings in Singapore.

The MoU acknowledges IAF, ILAC and IHAF’s intent to cooperate and consult with each other on technical issues of common interest, including by means of representation at meetings. The IHAF, a network of accreditation bodies (ABs) that are mandated to enforce halal standards in their economies, relies on the peer evaluation processes of IAF and ILAC as a pre-requisite for IHAF multi-lateral agreement signatories.

Eng. Mohammed Saleh Badri, IHAF Secretary-General, noted that this achievement acknowledges the importance of IHAF’s existence as an independent body that grants international recognition to halal ABs and works to create strategic partnerships with international organizations concerned with conformity assessment. He pointed out the importance of the halal sector in the global economy, particularly the Islamic economy, and its growth in recent years. 31 ABs have joined IHAF since its establishment in May 2016, and most are from economies that play a vital role in the global halal industry and trade.

About The International Accreditation Forum

The International Accreditation Forum is the international organisation for accreditation bodies and other bodies interested in conformity assessment such as management system certification (using ISO/IEC 17021-1), product certification (using ISO/IEC 17065), certification of persons (using ISO/IEC 17024), verification/validation (using ISO 14065) and other similar conformity assessment. Its primary function is to facilitate trade, support regulators, protect consumers and the environment, and facilitate sustainable development by operating a worldwide mutual recognition arrangement among accreditation bodies in order that the results issued by conformity assessment bodies accredited by IAF members are accepted globally.

About International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation

The International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation is the international organisation for accreditation bodies operating in accordance with ISO/IEC 17011 and involved in the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies (CABs) such as calibration and testing laboratories (using ISO/IEC 17025), medical testing laboratories (using ISO 15189) inspection bodies (using ISO/IEC 17020), Proficiency Testing Providers (using ISO/IEC 17043) and Reference Material Producers (using ISO 17034). ILAC’s primary function is to operate a worldwide mutual recognition arrangement among accreditation bodies that facilitates trade, supports regulators and reduces risk for business and its customers by assuring that accredited CABs are competent to carry out the work they undertake within their scope of accreditation.

About the International Halal Accreditation Forum

The International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) is an independent, non-government network of accreditation agencies all mandated to enforce halal standards in their countries and regions. Empowered by its aim to protect the growing number of halal consumers and to facilitate international trade, IHAF establishes a solid ground for the global industry of halal food and non-food products. Based in the UAE and spearheaded by the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Center (DIEDC) and the Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA), IHAF is anchored on the belief that greater cooperation among regional and international organizations is key in creating a halal industry that is strong, stable, reliable and responsive to the needs of consumers and businesses across the world.