One of the most important dates on the calendar for those in the conformity assessment industry is coming up soon: World Accreditation Day, which occurs on Tuesday, June 9.
World Accreditation Day is coordinated by the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (Global ACI), which is the international authority on the accreditation of laboratories, certification bodies, inspection bodies, proficiency testing providers, validation/verification bodies, reference material producers, and biobanks. Global ACI members include accreditation bodies, regional cooperation bodies, and stakeholder organizations from around the world.
World Accreditation Day is a global initiative established to raise awareness about the vital role accreditation plays in maintaining standards, safety, and quality across various industries. It was begun in 2008 by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). Accreditation activities formerly handled by IAF and ILAC are now all covered by Global ACI, which was formed at the start of this year to streamline global efforts in promoting accreditation and the quality infrastructure.
“Innovation, Trust and Sustainability: The Power of Accreditation” is the theme of World Accreditation Day 2026.
“As technology evolves and sustainability expectations grow, progress needs proof,” says Brahim Houla, the chair of Global ACI. “Accreditation helps ensure new solutions are reliable. It demonstrates that they meet the requirements of regulators, signifies credibility, and instills confidence with potential customers. Accreditation also helps drive internal efficiencies and improved company culture.”
For those working in conformity assessment, including the auditing of management system standards, appreciating the importance of the accreditation function is an important endeavor. Organizations such as Global ACI make certification bodies like Exemplar Global possible and help ensure the continued ability of those in industry to work to generally accepted guidelines. For that reason, World Accreditation Day deserves recognition.
For more information on World Accreditation Day, visit online at the Global ACI website.