World Accreditation Day2026 - Innovation, Trust and Sustainability: The Power of Accreditation

Innovation, Trust and Sustainability: The Power of Accreditation
World Accreditation Day 2026 celebrates the vital role accreditation plays in enabling innovation, building trust and supporting a sustainable future. In today’s rapidly changing world, shaped by technological breakthroughs, complex global supply chains and growing environmental and social challenges, confidence in products, services and systems has never been more important

What is Accreditation?
Accreditation is the independent evaluation of conformity assessment bodies (CABs), such as certification bodies, laboratories, inspection bodies and validation/verification bodies, against recognised standards to confirm their competence, impartiality and reliability. Through the application of national and international standards, governments, regulators, businesses and consumers can have confidence in the certificates, reports and statements issued by accredited CABs.

Accreditation delivers value by:
· Fostering trust in products, systems and services by providing independent assurance that conformity assessment is reliable and credible
· Enabling innovation by providing a reliable framework that allows CABs to safely adopt new technologies and continuously improve their practices
· Supporting sustainability by promoting accountability, consistent processes and alignment with environmental and social expectations
· Under international and regional agreements like the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (Global ACI MRA), accreditation body signatories in different economies recognise each other’s assessments as equivalent, supporting the acceptance of accredited conformity assessment results across borders. The Global ACI MRA recognition reduces the need for products or services to be re-evaluated in every market, helping to reduce technical barriers to trade. It provides businesses and regulators confidence that goods meet specifications and comply with regulations.
· Competent, impartial and transparent accreditation builds global trust – providing confidence that products, services and systems are safe, reliable and contribute to a more sustainable everyday life.
One Global System of Confidence Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (Global ACI) is the sole international authority on the accreditation of laboratories, certification bodies, inspection bodies, proficiency testing providers, validation/verification bodies, reference material producers and biobanks. Commencing operation on January 1, 2026, Global ACI was formed to replace established international accreditation authorities the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). Global ACI strengthens the global accreditation system by providing one organisation, one governance framework and one global voice.
Global ACI’s members include accreditation bodies, regional cooperation bodies and stakeholder organisations from around the world. Global ACI aims to:
-Facilitate global trade by operating the Global ACI MRA among accreditation bodies, in order that accredited conformity assessment results issued by CABs accredited by Global ACI MRA signatories in different economies can be accepted globally
- Harmonise accreditation practices by defining criteria and guidance to ensure consistent, effective accreditation, supporting trade, safety, health and sustainability
-Promote the consistent application of conformity assessment activities to international consensus-based standards and conformity assessment schemes
-Facilitate knowledge exchange and cooperation by providing opportunities to share information, develop guidance, and establish consensus-based documents
- Provide capacity building support for enhancing the competence and capabilities of accreditation bodies worldwide
Global ACI builds on the proven foundations of IAF and ILAC, preserving the systems and relationships that have fostered decades of confidence in accreditation. Simultaneously, it provides a platform for a more coordinated global network, where regional cooperation and shared oversight reinforce reliability and consistency. By maintaining trusted processes while enhancing efficiency and global reach, Global ACI ensures that confidence in accreditation is not only preserved but strengthened to meet the challenges of today and opportunities of tomorrow. This continuity of trust under a single organisation ensures that accredited conformity assessment results remain a reliable cornerstone for international trade, regulatory acceptance and collaboration. Global ACI provides a globally accepted approach recognised by governments, regulators, and markets – reducing duplication, opening access to trade and building trust in results worldwide. Through this, it helps create safer societies, stronger economies and a more sustainable, innovative world.
On World Accreditation Day 2026, we celebrate not only the value of accreditation, but also a new chapter in global cooperation.
Accredited once, results trusted worldwide

World Accreditation Day 9 June 2026
In collaboration with the Accreditation Body of the Iranian Association of Clinical Laboratory Doctors

https://global-aci.org/en/wad2026/