International Standards Organization

　　Standardsandaccreditationprovideaframeworkoftrustformarketingandpurchasing

　　goodsandservices.Incompetitiveandopenmarkets,bothgovernmentandbusinessrely

　　ontrusttoensureafairexchangeofsafegoodsandservices.Theessentialaspectof

　　accreditationisthatitunderpinsthisconfidencebecauseitisavalidmeansofverifying

　　claimsaboutquality,performance,andcompetence.Withtheglobalizationnotonlyof

　　trade,butofmanyotherissuessuchasclimatechangeandenvironmentalprotection,

　　securityandhealth,trustmustbeachievedglobally.TheuseofISOInternational

　　StandardsasthereferencecriteriaforaccreditationandthedevelopmentoftheILACand

　　IAFMLAsarethereforekeytobuildingtrustacrossbordersandpromotingbestpractices

　　inconformityassessmentworldwide.

　　Thosehavingrequirementsfortheassessmentofcomplianceofproductsandservices,

　　whetherintheregulatedareasorforprivatetransactions,havecometorecognisethe

　　importanceofcredibleaccreditationprogramsthatarebasedoninternationally

　　recognisedstandardsandsubjecttomutualrecognition.Withrestrictedbudgets,many

　　governmentagenciescannolongerdoitallthemselves;increasingly,theymustrelyon

　　accreditedconformityassessmenttosupporttheirregulatorypolicies.Accreditation

　　basedonISOstandardsandILACandIAFMLAsprovidesthatandassistsinmeeting

　　thecommitmentstakeninthecontextoftheWTOAgreementonTechnicalBarriersto

　　Trade.