A new, single international accreditation organisation, Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated, has been established to bring together the work of IAF and ILAC.
IAF Chair Emanuele Riva reflects on IAF’s legacy of supporting global economic growth through accreditation over 30 years. A recent study confirms that IAF’s initiatives and the quality infrastructure positively impact GDP, showcasing the economic importance of mutual trust and cooperation in supporting market confidence and resilience.
For more than three decades, IAF has provided a forum in which accreditation bodies, regional accreditation groups, stakeholders and partners could collaborate to address technical challenges, align practices and respond to the changing demands of global markets.
In the world of conformity assessment, the need to interpret and adopt new concepts to meet market demands is a current priority. One of these concepts, “professional agnostic”, today offers fertile ground for reflection for the International Organization for Standardization community.
In June 2025, IAF added IFS Wholesale and Cash & Carry as an IAF MLA sub-scope. This allows for the acceptance of accredited certification to this scheme in multiple markets with a single accreditation, reducing costs and increasing value for businesses and consumers.
As the global community intensifies efforts to address climate change, the demand for credible and transparent greenhouse gas reporting and verification has never been greater. In August 2025, IAF Members voted to extend the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement to include ISO 14067 as a Level 5 sub-scope.
the IAF CertSearch API was launched in April 2025. Designed for corporations and regulators with large, complex global supply chains or customer networks, the API integrates directly into enterprise systems, making real-time certificate verification possible at scale.
For World Accreditation Day 2025, IAF and ILAC will highlight how accreditation can support small and medium-sized enterprises.
IAF and UNIDO are enhancing their partnership to strengthen quality infrastructure as a foundation for sustainable development by integrating IAF CertSearch into UNIDO’s QI4SD Index.
In February 2025, IAF formally endorsed the Interprivacy Certification Scheme (IP-CS.1) as a Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) sub-scope.
Digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification, DMRV, can enhance the traditional MRV process through digital technologies. What considerations need to be made by the conformity assessment community for the use of DMRV?
Objective accountability is a fundamental principle in ensuring that accredited organizations are held responsible for the actions of their inspectors. Ethical violations are not merely individual problems; they undermine the integrity of the entire accreditation system.
In December 2024, IAF Members agreed to extend the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) to include Anti-Bribery Management Systems (ABMS) and Compliance Management Systems (CMS).
The recent proliferation of conformity assessment schemes and programs presents challenges, but also opportunities.
The IAF CertSearch database, created by IAF and its members, is a pivotal tool for businesses and regulators. It enables efficient verification of suppliers and their locations holding valid accredited certifications across global supply chains. The platform also provides real-time alerts for any changes in certification status, helping organizations manage supply chain risks effectively.
COP 29 took place in Baku, Azerbaijan from 11-22 November 2024, with participation from IAF in multiple events.
On 06 December 2024, the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated was officially registered as a legal entity and is now an incorporated society in New Zealand.
In 2025, the IAF Communications and Marketing Committee aims to focus on three main priorities.
The 22nd meeting of the IAF Multilateral Arrangement Committee (MLAC) was held on 4 October 2024 in Berlin, Germany.
Through its current members, a representative group of 12 local, regional and global conformity assessment bodies’ trade associations, the IAF CABAC aims to exercise a comprehensive contribution to the meetings and work of IAF working groups and permanent committees.
One of the key regular tasks of the IAF Technical Committee is to monitor, and provide input to, the updating and development of standards in the conformity assessment sphere.
IAF Outlook 