World Accreditation Day 2023: Recognizing Accreditation’s Role in Supporting the Future of Global Trade

World Accreditation Day 2023: Recognizing Accreditation’s Role in Supporting the Future of Global Trade

On Friday, June 9, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) will join accredited organizations worldwide to recognize World Accreditation Day (WAD) 2023. WAD, established by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperative (ILAC), highlights the important role of accreditation around the world.

This year’s theme, “Accreditation: Supporting the Future of Global Trade,” will focus on several of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:

• 1: No Poverty
• 2: Zero Hunger
• 3: Good Health and Well-Being
• 5: Gender Equality
• 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• 10: Reduced Inequalities
• 14: Life Below Water
• 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The SDGs, also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and promote peace and prosperity for all by 2030.

To kick off festivities in recognition of WAD, IAF and ILAC will host a virtual event on June 9 to discuss how accreditation supports the future of global trade. 

Additionally, the organizations have released several resources highlighting WAD 2023, including a video and a brochure. Access World Accreditation Day resources, including the poster and brochure, via the IAF website and the ILAC website. ILAC and IAF have also announced the winner of the WAD 2023 poster competition: creator Vivek Vardhan.

ANAB Accreditation Programs Support Global Trade

With the global health pandemic receding, we now face new challenges affecting global trade, such as supply chain disruption, cybersecurity, consumer sustainability concerns, and more. Industry requirements are shifting to address these challenges.

ANAB assures its accredited organizations are conforming to the changing requirements while supporting the UN’s SDGs through its various accreditation programs, including:

• Product Certification
  ANAB provides accreditation for product certification in areas of EPA WaterSense, EPA Energy Star, Sustainable Forestry, AECO Program, and more. ANAB accreditation allows organizations to certify products, processes, and services based on ISO/IEC 17065 and other relevant scheme requirements, supporting SDGs 2, 3, 9, and 14.
  
  
• Management Systems
  ANAB offers accreditation for Management Systems certification in areas such as ISO/IEC 27001,Information Security, Cybersecurity And Privacy Protection - Information Security Management Systems – Requirements; SAE AS 9100, Quality Systems - Aerospace - Model For Quality Assurance In Design, Development, Production, Installation, And Servicing; and ISO 14001, Environmental Management Systems - Requirements With Guidance For Use, that support some of the challenges affecting global trade. ANAB also instills confidence in consumers by participating in IAF CertSearch, a global database to search and validate accredited certificate status, supporting SDGs 3, 8, 9, 10, and 17.
  
  
• Laboratories
  ANAB has laboratory accreditation programs in medical, food and feed testing, and environmental industries based on ISO/IEC 17025 and multiple standards in many industry-specific programs. ANAB utilizes remote accreditation assessments to decrease travel time, assure health and safety, and reduce our carbon footprint overall, supporting SDGs 3, 9, and 14.
  
  
• Validation and Verification
  ANAB accredits organizations providing third-party validation and verification of greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and removals, supporting SDG 14.

Read more about the federal, state, and local jurisdictions that recognize and rely on ANAB accreditation to help ensure safety, quality, security, and sustainability.

Follow WAD 2023 Festivities

Want to learn more about WAD celebrations around the globe, including national events, seminars, and media coverage? Follow @ANAB_ACCREDIT and the conversation on social media: #WAD2023