News Item • 2 mins read
From 1 January 2026, the international accreditation system has moved to a new, unified structure with the launch of Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated.
This new organisation brings together the work of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) into a single global body. The change is designed to strengthen international trust in accreditation and simplify how accreditation arrangements are governed worldwide.
The principle of accredited once, accepted everywhere continues through the global multilateral recognition arrangements now managed by the new organisation.
This ensures that accredited conformity assessment results can continue to be accepted across international markets without the need for repeated assessment.
What does this mean for you?
Existing accreditations issued under the ILAC and/or IAF Mutual Recognition Arrangements will continue to be recognised as arrangements transition to the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated MRA.
Current ILAC/IAF marks should continue to be used during the transition period, then phase to the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated mark once available.
Guidance will be provided before a formal launch in April 2026. You can stay up to date through both the IAF and ILAC social media channels.
You can also sign up for the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/ju2yr6
What will change over time?
References to IAF and ILAC will gradually transition to Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated, including branding and recognition marks.
Any updates that affect customers will be communicated clearly and in advance. UKAS welcomes this development and remains committed to supporting you throughout the transition.
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