The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) have decided to join forces in a historic step for the global accreditation community. The two giant organizations will act as a single umbrella organization under the umbrella of Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (GAC), which will be operational as of January 1, 2026. This merger aims to facilitate international trade by bringing together all activities in the fields of certification and laboratory accreditation in a single global framework.
With the establishment of GAC, the IAF Multilateral Recognition Agreement (MLA) and the ILAC Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) will be merged into a single GAC Mutual Recognition Agreement (GAC MRA). This strategic move aims to further accelerate the international acceptance of accredited conformity assessment results and reinforce the principle of “accredited once, accepted everywhere”. With 2025 set as a transition period, Brahim Houla was elected as the first President of GAC and Emanuele Riva as Vice President. This merger is an important milestone in increasing reliability and consistency in international trade by simplifying accreditation processes.
