Congratulations to SAE of Ecuador, new IAAC signatory for the MLA subscope of Certification Bodies of ABMS and GLOBAL G.A.P.  On July 31, 2021, the MLA Group agreed via electronic ballot that the Servicio de Acreditación Ecuatoriano (SAE) of Ecuador be accepted as an MLA signatory for the sub-scope of Anti-Bribery Management Systems (ABMS) Certification Bodies (Main scope: Level 3: ISO/IEC 17021-1, Level 4: ISO/IEC 17021-9, Level 5: ISO 37001), and as a signatory for Product Certification Bodies with a subscope for GLOBAL G.A.P. (Main scope: Level 3: ISO/IEC 17065, Level 4: GLOBAL G.A.P. IFA, Level 5: GLOBAL G.A.P. CPCCs).

IAAC warmly welcomes FONDONORMA as a new IAAC Stakeholder member.  Fondo para la Normalización y Certificación de la Calidad, (FONDONORMA), is the Standardization and Certification Body of Venezuela, and is accredited by the ONAC of Colombia for QMS and EMS Certification.  FONDONORMA is also a member of COPANT, their website is https://www.fondonorma.org.ve/index.php/es/.  FONDONORMA was accepted as an IAAC Stakeholder member, via electronic ballot, as of August 2, 2021. 

Below you will find the invitation, minimum requirements, application process and remuneration, and schedule.

IAAC Call Technical Secretary

Letter of Recommendation PDF / Letter of Recommendation WORD (google drive download)

The International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) recognizes the Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) Multi-lateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) for the scope of Reference Material Producers (RMP) using ISO 17034, as a result of the ILAC regional peer evaluation for this MLA scope extension which was carried out during 2019/2020.

Reference Material Producers that are accredited by signatories of the IAAC MLA for RMP may now receive international recognition of their accredited RMP programs.  This achievement is significant as regional development of reference materials programs that support the specific markets and the needs of the Americas, and will serve the process for improvement of testing, calibration, and proficiency testing services offered within the region.  It provides another platform for the support of regional growth, innovation and development.

The IAAC Chair would like to thank all parties that made this achievement possible including the member Accreditation Bodies, IAAC peer evaluators, the MLA Chair and Vice-Chair, the IAAC Executive Secretariat, and the Stakeholders.

IAAC warmly welcomes the Sistema Interamericano de Metrología (SIM) - Inter-American Metrology System, as an IAAC Associate member.  SIM is a regional metrology organization of the Americas, which includes the National Metrology Institutes of each country in the Americas.  IAAC and SIM have a long history of cooperation at the regional level, working together as partners in technical cooperation projects with the PTB of Germany and the Organization of the American States (OAS), sharing experiences in areas of common interest at the committee level; collaborating on joint capacity building activities such as training workshops for both IAAC and SIM members.  The IAAC and SIM Chairs attend and participate each other’s General Assemblies.  In 2014, IAAC, SIM and COPANT signed an MOU to create the Quality Infrastructure Council of the Americas (QICA) with the objective to promote a shared vision for mutual support in the development of standards, accreditation and scientific, industrial and legal metrology.  QICA is the contact point for cooperation actions in support of strengthening the national Quality Infrastructure in all countries of the Americas.

IAAC’s longtime and fruitful relationship with SIM has now been formalized by establishing mutual memberships.  IAAC recently became a member of SIM, and now SIM has been formally accepted as an IAAC associate member.

SIM’s website is https://sim-metrologia.org 

IAAC warmly welcomes International Accreditation Services (IAS) as its most recent IAAC full member.  IAS is an Accreditation Body of the United States of America, it is an MLA/MRA signatory of IAF, ILAC, and APAC.  IAS is a nonprofit, public-benefit corporation that has been providing accreditation services since 1975. IAS accredits a wide range of companies and organizations including governmental entities, commercial businesses, and professional associations. IAS accreditation programs are based on recognized national and international standards that ensure domestic and/or global acceptance of its accreditations.  IAS offers accreditation programs to accredit Testing and Calibration Laboratories, Inspection Bodies, Certification of Persons, Product Certification and Management Systems Certification (QMS, EMS, ISMS, EnMS, FSMS, ABMS).  IAS is based in Brea, California, their website is https://www.iasonline.org/.  IAS was accepted as an IAAC full member by the General Assembly, via electronic ballot, as of May 26, 2021.

A presidente da Cooperação Interamericana de Acreditação (IAAC), Liliane Somma, concedeu entrevista exclusiva à Abrac para falar sobre o Dia Mundial da Acreditação, iniciativa global estabelecida pelo International Accreditation Forum (#IAF) e International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (#ILAC). Leia a entrevista na íntegra: https://bit.ly/2T4YlhR

IAAC warmly welcomes TIC Council as its most recent IAAC Stakeholder member.  TIC Council is an international association representing accredited, independent Testing Laboratories, Inspection Bodies and Certification Bodies.  TIC Council is composed of about 90 Conformity Assessment Bodies operating worldwide, many of them in the region of the Americas.  TIC Council is based in Belgium with an office in the USA, their website is www.tic-council.org.  TIC Council was accepted as a Stakeholder member, via electronic ballot, as of March 2, 2021.

IAAC Stakeholders are an important voice in the development of accreditation in the region.

IAF and ILAC added 4 new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the implementation of ISO/IEC 17011:2017, specifically on impartiality. You may find them in the Frequently asked questions and answers about ISO/IEC 17011 (Update) front square of the  IAAC website.

https://www.iaac.org.mx/index.php/en/?layout=edit&id=159

IAAC workshop on the ISO/IEC 17029 standard, General principles and requirements for Validation & Verification Bodies.

IAAC held a 2-day virtual workshop on the ISO/IEC 17029 standard, General principles and requirements for Validation & Verification Bodies, on February 22 and 24, 2021, presented by Stefanie Vehring of VBTUV. 133 participants from Accreditation Bodies and Conformity Assessment Bodies of the Americas joined the conversation.  The presentation included topics such as the CASCO Toolbox, differentiation of validation from verification, explanation of programmes, description of the process, a review of the each one of the clauses, when is consultancy allowed, common requirements for Management Systems, etc. 

A recording in English of the workshop is available for IAAC members in the Members section of the IAAC website in the Certification Bodies Subcommittee page.

This workshop is part of a series of virtual technical trainings for IAAC members, organized by the IAAC Training Subcommittee with the support of the IAAC Secretariat.