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

With the MoU, IAF, ILAC and the World Bank have committed to share knowledge and experience on quality infrastructure (QI) reforms, specifically in the field of conformity assessment body accreditation, to better support client economies in the development and strengthening of national QIs. A strong national QI aids in reducing barriers to international trade, facilitating global technical cooperation, and encouraging industrial development and entrepreneurship.

It is anticipated that specific areas of cooperation will include supporting the design and implementation of QI reforms; participating in signatories’ knowledge sharing events such as seminars, workshops and meetings; producing joint documents and peer reviewing the documents of other signatories in the field of QI; and promoting the importance of mutual acceptance of conformity assessment results in both the voluntary and regulatory domains.

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 World Bank

The World Bank is an international development institution established by Articles of Agreement adopted by its member countries. The World Bank’s overarching mission is to reduce poverty, improve living conditions, and promote sustainable and comprehensive development in its developing member countries. It has established two ambitious goals to anchor its mission: end extreme poverty within a generation and boost shared prosperity. The World Bank will achieve these goals by providing loans, concessional financing, technical assistance, and knowledge sharing services to its developing member countries and through partnerships with other organizations.