Accreditation is defined as the procedure by which an authoritative body gives formal recognition that a body or person is competent to carry out specific tasks.
At the international level, the purpose of Accreditation is to remove technical barriers to trade by ensuring that the results of conformity assessment are accepted and recognized among trading partners.
Accreditation also improves the quality and reliability of services provided to local users of conformity assessment bodies and is thus important at the national level for the protection of the health and safety of the population and for the protection of the environment.
Certification is a fantastic business asset but there is sometimes a misunderstanding about certification that governments deem it to be mandatory and, secondly, that all certification bodies have to be accredited by a National Accreditation Body which is the only accreditation body permitted to operate. This is simply not true. The UK Department for Business Innovation and Skills' (BIS) official policy principles on Conformity Assessment and Accreditation in the UK clearly states
"Accreditation is applicable to both the regulated and non-regulated sectors but should remain voluntary unless required by specific legislation."
AIAB, was formed to accredit a range of non-governmental certifying bodies that assess products, personnel and management systems.
