As a key stakeholder, IAF continues to pursue different avenues to work closely with the WTO.

At the IAF General Assembly in 2018, Dr Aik Hoe Lim, Director Trade and Environment Division World Trade Organization, provided IAF with guidance on how it might better promote itself with trade representatives to ensure greater adoption of accredited conformity assessment.

Dr Lim suggested that one measure that IAF could take should be to develop material to evidence that accreditation has a positive economic impact on trade. IAF accepted this challenge and has produced a case study with a strong (data-driven) trade narrative based on the EnergyStar programme, which uses both accredited testing and certification. IAF is grateful to the US Environmental Protection Agency for sharing internal data and information about the programme.

The IAF Communications and Marketing Committee (CMC) is working with ILAC to produce additional case studies, and work is underway with the WTO to identify ways of sharing this benefits-based material.

Download a copy of the EnergyStar case study.