ANAB has been approved as a member of the InterAmerican Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) multilateral recognition arrangement (MLA) for accreditation of medical devices management systems certification bodies. The main scope is ISO/IEC 17021 and the sub-scope is ISO 13485.
The IAAC is a regional association of accreditation bodies with the mission of promoting cooperation amongst accreditation bodies and interested parties of the Americas, aiming at the development of conformity assessment structures to achieve the improvement of products, processes, and services.
The IAAC MLA is an agreement among accreditation bodies that recognizes the accreditations issued by each other. This system of mutual recognition of accreditations is based on the proper operation of the accreditation systems of the bodies that join the arrangement. A program to establish and maintain mutual confidence among the bodies that are signatories to the IAAC MLA is required to establish and maintain an MLA.
By reducing the need for multiple assessments, IAAC’s MLAs facilitate international trade by encouraging widespread acceptance of valid certificates, registrations, and results issued by signatory accreditation bodies.
ANAB expects to undergo an on-site evaluation by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) early next year as a precursor to attaining similar recognition for medical devices quality management systems under the IAF MLA.