Global ACI Has Replaced the IAF and ILAC: What It Means

The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) were replaced by a single body, Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (Global ACI), on 1 January 2026. If you hold an ISO certificate, nothing you need to do has changed. Your certificate remains valid, your certification body continues as normal, and existing accreditations are still recognised.

What has changed is the international architecture behind accreditation: two organisations became one, and the IAF MLA and ILAC MRA have been consolidated into a single Global ACI Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MRA). This guide sets out what happened, why, and the handful of practical consequences worth knowing.

What happened, and when

Global ACI commenced full operations on 1 January 2026, assuming the former roles of both the IAF and ILAC. The IAF ceased operations on the same date. Its website is now maintained as a legacy site for archival reference only, and carries a notice directing visitors to Global ACI.

Global ACI describes itself as the international authority on the accreditation of laboratories, certification bodies, inspection bodies, proficiency testing providers, validation and verification bodies, reference material producers and biobanks. It currently has 126 full members, alongside associate, stakeholder and regional cooperation body members.

Why the merger happened

This was a deliberate, joint decision by both organisations rather than a collapse or a takeover. Global ACI states that it was launched “further to a decision by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) to establish a single international organisation for accreditation”.

The official launch announcement is more specific about the reasoning. Replacing the two bodies with one is intended to make the global accreditation system “simpler, more efficient and easier to trust”, and to:

• reduce duplication of effort between the two organisations
• harmonise accreditation policies and procedures
• enable more consistent application of standards across sectors and borders

In plain terms: accreditation for laboratories and accreditation for certification bodies had been governed by two separate international cooperations with overlapping machinery. Merging them removes a layer of duplication from a system whose entire purpose is that a certificate issued in one economy can be relied upon in another.

What is changing

The single MRA is the substantive change. It provides one pathway for mutual recognition of accredited conformity assessment results, in place of two parallel arrangements.

What is not changing

For most businesses this is the more important section, and the answer is reassuring. According to the official launch announcement:

• Continuity of recognition. Existing accreditations issued under the ILAC MRA or IAF MLA continue to be recognised as arrangements transition to the Global ACI MRA.
• No service interruptions. Accreditation bodies, conformity assessment bodies, scheme owners and regional groups continue operating as normal through the transition.
• Existing marks remain valid. The IAF MLA and ILAC MRA marks remain valid for as long as required, until the new Global ACI mark is fully adopted.
• Scopes and membership continue. Continuity is being maintained in scopes of accreditation and in membership.
• Regional machinery is unchanged. The regional cooperation bodies (AFRAC, APAC, ARAC, EA, IAAC and SADCA) continue to support the peer evaluations and regional coordination that feed the global arrangement.

So if you are looking at a certificate that carries an IAF MLA mark, it has not gone stale. The old marks were explicitly given an open-ended transition period.

What about IAF and ILAC documents?

They remain in force. Under Global ACI Resolutions 2025-25 and 2025-29, specified IAF and ILAC documents continue to apply until equivalent Global ACI documents are adopted. Global ACI publishes a cross-reference table mapping its own publications against the related IAF and ILAC documents.

This matters if your management system, procedures or contracts cite IAF or ILAC document numbers. Those citations are not immediately invalid, but they will need reviewing as the Global ACI equivalents are published.

Does this change how you verify a certificate?

No. IAF CertSearch continues to operate, still at its existing address, still carrying its existing branding, and Global ACI links to it from its own website as the certificate verification route. No migration or rebrand of the database has been announced.

The authoritative check also has not changed: the register of the accreditation body for the relevant region. Our guide on how to check whether an ISO certificate is real or fake sets out the full method, including which registers to use and why you should never rely on contact details printed on the certificate itself.

What it means in Australia and New Zealand

JASANZ remains the accreditation body for Australia and New Zealand, and remains the register you use to confirm both that a certification body is accredited and that a certificate is genuine. Its role is unaffected by the change at the international level. At the time of writing JASANZ has not published a separate transition statement of its own.

One point worth being clear about, because it is frequently misunderstood: Global ACI does not accredit anyone directly. It does not assess or accredit conformity assessment bodies. That is done by its full member accreditation bodies, of which JASANZ is one. The relationship is the same as it was under the IAF. For more on who does what, see our guide to ISO certification bodies in Australia.

Who needs to do anything?

Global ACI and the IAF: FAQs

What replaced the IAF?

Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (Global ACI), from 1 January 2026. It replaced both the International Accreditation Forum and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation, bringing the work of both into a single international organisation.

Is my ISO certificate still valid?

Yes. Existing accreditations issued under the IAF MLA or ILAC MRA continue to be recognised, certification bodies continue operating as normal, and there is no interruption to services. You do not need to do anything.

Does IAF CertSearch still work?

Yes. The database continues to operate at its existing address with its existing branding, and Global ACI links to it from its own website. No migration or rebrand has been announced.

What happened to the IAF MLA?

It has been consolidated, along with the ILAC MRA, into a single Global ACI Multilateral Recognition Arrangement. The Global ACI MRA covers the scopes previously recognised under both former arrangements.

Are the old IAF MLA and ILAC MRA marks still valid?

Yes, for now. The launch announcement states the existing marks remain valid for as long as required until the new Global ACI mark is fully adopted. Global ACI document MRA-006 sets out the rules for the new mark, with a temporary process for continued use of the former marks.

Who accredits certification bodies in Australia now?

JASANZ, exactly as before. Global ACI itself does not accredit conformity assessment bodies. Accreditation is carried out by its full member accreditation bodies, and JASANZ is the one covering Australia and New Zealand.

Why were the IAF and ILAC merged?

To create a single international organisation for accreditation. The stated aims are to reduce duplication of effort, harmonise accreditation policies and procedures, and enable more consistent application of standards across sectors and borders, making the global system simpler and more efficient.

How Streamline can help

Streamline designs, implements, audits and mentors practical ISO management systems for Australian businesses. If you are unsure whether a change like this affects your certification, or whether a supplier’s certificate is genuine, we can tell you quickly. You deal directly with an experienced ISO auditor.

See our ISO clause guides, our management system design services, or our independent internal audit.

Speak with an experienced ISO auditor

Contact us, email hello@streamline.business or call Brisbane 07 3667 8280, Sydney 02 8315 7780 or Melbourne 03 9034 3990.