What is IQAF International Quality Accreditation Forum?
Founded in 2020, IQAF (International Quality Accreditation Forum) is an independent, non-profit, global, and impartial organization that represents certification bodies worldwide and provides accreditation according to the ISO/IEC 17000 series of standards. It operates under the CASCO Standard, an ISO (International Organization for Standardization) organization. Not directly affiliated with any state or government, its aim is to ensure the international acceptance of conformity assessment procedures.
Key Information About IQAF:
- Structure: A broad network of accreditation bodies, professional associations, and certification bodies.
- Purpose: To eliminate technical barriers in global trade and facilitate the mutual recognition of certificates.
- Affiliations: It is an independent, non-profit, global, and impartial organization, operating under the CASCO Standard, which is an ISO (International Organization for Standardization) organization providing accreditation according to the ISO/IEC 17000 series of standards.
- Location: Despite its decentralized structure, it is a registered organization administratively based in the United Kingdom. IQAF (International Quality Accreditation Forum) oversees the authorization processes of certification bodies, ensuring the international validity of the certificates issued.
Our journey is focused on making it easy to achieve your accreditation.
IQAF accreditation is a valuable asset for management system certification bodies. It demonstrates to potential clients that your organization is competent, impartial and operates in accordance with internationally recognized standards. IQAF accreditation also gives you access to the Worldwide Accreditation Board (WAB), meaning that your certification is accepted by over 100 accreditation bodies worldwide.
Is an unaccredited certificate valid?
Is there a requirement for accreditation for product/service, calibration and testing laboratories, and organizations that perform system and personnel certification?
There is no mandatory requirement for accreditation in national and international regulations. Accreditation is entirely a voluntary process. However, in free market economies, laboratories and certification bodies that generally provide conformity assessment services tend to become accredited. Being accredited, in particular, brings prestige and credibility to a laboratory or certification body. However, if such organizations believe that they can continue their activities, reach customers, and meet their expectations without accreditation, they may do so voluntarily—accreditation remains a market expectation rather than a legal obligation for many sectors.
What is the difference between certification and accreditation?
Certification – a written assurance (certificate) from an independent organization that a product, service, or system meets specific requirements.
Accreditation – formal recognition by an independent organization, usually known as an accreditation body, that a certification body operates in accordance with international standards.
What is a remote audit?
A remote audit is the process of examining the virtual or physical sites of a conformity assessment body using electronic means. This process includes methods such as web-based seminars, online meetings, teleconferences, audio-visual services, and remote access to the organization's data processing activities, management system, and database.
What happens if the remote audit does not provide sufficient benefit or if the activities that need to be observed cannot be observed? In such a case, the remote audit can be repeated, or the process can be completed by supporting it with on-site audits.
How can I check if a certification body has IQAF accreditation?
- To check if a certification body has IQAF accreditation, you can verify it by selecting the Find accredited companies option from our homepage. This approach allows you to reliably verify IQAF accreditation status.
- You can verify the authenticity of the document by scanning the QR code on the document with your phone's camera.