World Accreditation Day is celebrated annually on June 9th to highlight the value of accreditation in terms of its benefits in the economic, environmental, and social arenas. This year, it will be the first such event in the context of the new Global Accreditation Cooperation (Global AC), which became fully operational on January 1, 2026, after the merging of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).

For organizations certified to ISO standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 (among many others), the concept of accreditation usually operates quietly in the background, but it is key to ensuring that these certifications are globally recognized. It is a key part of any country or region’s Quality Infrastructure (QI), that - along with standards and metrology - provides conformity assessment services with credibility, consistency, and international acceptance in local and international markets. These conformity assessment activities typically include inspection, testing, certification (of processes, products, services, persons or systems) and verification/validation (“V/V”) of, for example, declarations of carbon footprint or claims of energy efficiency.

What is Accreditation?
The official definition of Accreditation is a “third-party attestation related to a conformity assessment body, conveying formal demonstration of its competence, impartiality and consistent operation in performing specific conformity assessment activities”

In most parts of the world (including all of the EU) there is only one formally recognized national accreditation body per country. For example in Portugal this body is IPAC (Instituto Portugues de Acreditação); in Spain it is ENAC (Entidad Nacional de Acreditación) and in Brazil it is Cgcre (Coordenação Geral de Acreditação), part of Inmetro (Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia).

There are, however, other accreditation bodies that operate outside the traditional “ISO” context,. in specific economic sectors such as those involving Voluntary Sustainability Standards. Examples include Assurance Services International (ASI), who accredit certification bodies (like APCER) for the Forestry Stewardship Council scheme and Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS) who accredit APCER for SA 8000 certification.

Put simply, within the context of management system certification:

• Certification bodies audit and certify organizations’ management systems;
• Accreditation bodies audit and accredit the certification bodies.

Why Accreditation Matters
For certified organizations, the credibility and recognition of a certificate by customers and other interested parties depends critically on the competence and impartiality of the certification body that issued it.

Accreditation ensures that:

• Audits are conducted consistently and professionally;
• Certification decisions are impartial and evidence-based;
• Certificates are widely recognized across markets;
• Stakeholders can rely on certification claims.

This system creates a robust chain of trust that underpins the value of certification.

There are, however, reasons why a non-accredited certificates might exist. These include:

• Certificates issued by an unaccredited certification body, in which case recognition of the certificate and its trustworthiness can be significantly diminished, particularly in international trade or regulated sectors.
• Where there is no accreditation scheme available for certification to a particular standard. This might happen, for example, for some of the more recently-published ISO management system standards. In these cases, a good level of trust can be derived by using a certification body that holds accreditation for other similar standards.

The basis for accreditation of management system certification bodies

Certification bodies auditing management systems must demonstrate that they meet all the requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1 (“Conformity assessment - Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems”), which is a generic standard developed by ISO’s Conformity Assessment Committee (ISO/CASCO). This is supplemented by discipline-specific requirements, as applicable, such as ISO/IEC 17021-2 (for Environmental Management) and ISO/IEC 17021-3 (for Quality Management).

Together, these standards define requirements that include:

• Certification body impartiality and independence;
• Audit planning and execution;
• Auditor competence and qualification;
• Certification decision-making processes.

Other Accreditation Standards
Accreditation is, of course, not limited to management system certification. Other fundamental standards — covering laboratories, inspection bodies, product certification and certification of persons - provide a comprehensive framework that ensures results are reliable and internationally accepted.

Multilateral Arrangements: Enabling Global Trust
A cornerstone of global accreditation is the system of Multilateral Arrangements (MLAs) under which qualifying accreditation bodies (“MLA signatories”) recognize each other’s accreditations as being equivalent. The ultimate objective is to achieve the goal “Tested, inspected, or certified once-accepted everywhere.”

While not absolute, this principle significantly reduces barriers to international business. For certified organizations, it means:

• Easier entry into new markets;
• Greater confidence from global customers;
• Streamlined supplier qualification processes.

The MLAs have traditionally been managed by the IAF and ILAC, but are now operated under the new organization Global AC, resulting from the recent merger of these two entities. To become a signatory to a Global AC MLA, accreditation bodies themselves have to be subjected to an audit based on ISO/IEC 17011 (“Conformity assessment — Requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies”) conducted by a group of other accreditation bodies who are themselves already MLA signatories. These audits are often referred to as “peer assessments”.

In Europe, accreditation is coordinated through the European Co-operation for Accreditation (EA). Under EU Regulation (EC) No 765/2008, accreditation is:

• Strictly limited to one accreditation body (a public entity or designated not-for-profit organization) in each member state;
• Harmonized across the EU and EEA;
• Supported by a regional MLA.

For organizations operating within Europe, this ensures that an accredited certificate is recognized across borders-facilitating not only trade but also regulatory acceptance.

Accreditation as a Strategic Asset
Accreditation contributes directly to organizational resilience and credibility by:

• Reducing operational and compliance risks;
• Strengthening reputation and stakeholder trust;
• Supporting international growth;
• Enhancing supply chain confidence.

In many industries, it is not just beneficial-it is expected.

Conclusion
Accreditation is part of the invisible framework of quality infrastructure that makes certification meaningful. Through standards such as ISO/IEC 17021-1, it ensures the competence of certification bodies; through multilateral arrangements, it enables global recognition; and through organizations like Global AC, it continues to evolve to meet modern challenges in the sustainability arena.

With initiatives like World Accreditation Day raising awareness and ongoing international cooperation strengthening the system, accreditation remains central to building trust in a complex, global economy.

Nigel H. Croft