Quick answer: On 1 January 2026, ILAC and IAF were replaced by a single international accreditation organisation, Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated — known as Global ACI. The ILAC MRA and IAF MLA were merged into one Global ACI MRA. Existing accreditations remain valid, existing marks remain usable during a transition period, and no ISO/IEC standard has changed.
For twenty-five years, two organisations sat at the top of the international accreditation pyramid: ILAC for testing and calibration laboratories, inspection bodies, proficiency testing providers and reference material producers, and IAF for management system, product and personnel certification bodies and validation/verification bodies.
Neither exists as an operating organisation today. This guide explains what Global ACI is, what has already changed, what is still coming, and what accreditation bodies, conformity assessment bodies (CABs), regulators and scheme owners should do about it.
What is Global ACI?
Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (Global ACI) is the international authority for the accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories, medical laboratories, inspection bodies, management system certification bodies, product certification bodies, personnel certification bodies, proficiency testing providers, validation and verification bodies, reference material producers and biobanks.
It was registered as a not-for-profit incorporated society in New Zealand on 6 December 2024 and began full operations on 1 January 2026. Its membership currently includes roughly 126 Full Members, 12 Associate Members, 49 Stakeholder Members and 6 Regional Members.
Does Global ACI accredit laboratories or certification bodies?
No and this is the most common misunderstanding in the market. Global ACI is not an accreditation body. It sits one level above national accreditation bodies. It operates the recognition arrangement between them, oversees peer evaluation, and publishes policy and guidance documents.
Your laboratory or certification body is accredited by an accreditation body operating under ISO/IEC 17011 never by Global ACI.
Why did ILAC and IAF merge?
The merger was not a sudden decision. It followed a decade of joint work: joint general assemblies, a joint executive committee, joint management of both arrangements and joint A-series documents.
The stated benefits of a single organisation are:
- One multilateral recognition arrangement covering all conformity assessment activities
- Less duplication of effort and streamlined operations
- More consistent harmonisation of accreditation practice, requirements and procedures
- Stronger dialogue with stakeholders
- A single, stronger global voice for accreditation and the quality infrastructure
Timeline: from ILAC and IAF to Global ACI
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2019 (Frankfurt) | Joint General Assembly resolutions endorse a single organisation and establish a steering committee |
| October 2024 (Berlin) | Both memberships formally endorse the new body |
| 6 December 2024 | Registered as an incorporated society in New Zealand |
| October 2025 (Bangkok) | Final ILAC and IAF annual meetings; leadership elected; mark transfer formalised |
| 1 January 2026 | Global ACI begins full operations; single MRA launched; ILAC and IAF cease operating |
| 14 April 2026 | Global ACI acronym, logo, website and social channels unveiled |
| April 2026 (Prague) | First full round of Global ACI committee meetings |
| October 2026 | General Assembly expected to decide the launch date of the new MRA Mark |
What has already changed
- The ILAC MRA and IAF MLA have been replaced by a single Global ACI MRA.
- ILAC and IAF have stopped operating and are being wound up; their websites are archives only.
- Governance runs on a new document set: the Constitution (GOV-001), General Rules (GOV-002) and Code of Conduct (GOV-003).
- The arrangement is defined by MRA-001 (structure, scope and obligations), FMRA-001 (normative documents under the scope of the MRA) and MRA-006 (use of the MRA Mark and claims of accreditation status).
- Leadership took office on 1 January 2026 for three-year terms, with executive and technical committee positions confirmed during the first quarter of 2026.
What has not changed
- The standards. ISO/IEC 17025, 17020, 17021-1, 17024, 17029, 17043, 17065, ISO 15189, ISO 17034 and ISO 20387 are unaffected.
- Assessment practice. Assessment cycles, witnessed assessments and surveillance requirements continue as before.
- The regional machinery. The Recognised Regional Cooperation Bodies AFRAC, APAC, ARAC, EA, IAAC and SADCA still perform the large majority of peer evaluations. Global ACI evaluates and accepts their processes and outcomes rather than duplicating them.
- Your accreditation. Certificates and reports issued before 1 January 2026 remain valid and recognised.
What happens next: the Global ACI roadmap
1. The new Global ACI MRA Mark
Ownership of the ILAC MRA Mark was transferred to Global ACI, and the IAF MLA Mark was licensed to it. Both remain valid during the transition.
A decision on the launch date of the new Global ACI MRA Mark is expected at the October 2026 General Assembly, after which the legacy marks are anticipated to be phased out over roughly three years. Transition conditions are set out in Global ACI MRA-006 and its annex.
Practical rule: do not change the marks on your certificates or reports on your own initiative. Your accreditation body will tell you when and how.
2. Document migration and renumbering
IAF Mandatory Documents, IAF MLA documents and joint IAF/ILAC A-series documents that have not yet been superseded were moved to the Global ACI website under their existing numbering. They will be progressively replaced by Global ACI equivalents.
For CABs, this makes reference-list maintenance a multi-year task, not a one-off edit.
3. Technical committee output
Global ACI’s three technical committees began work in Prague in April 2026. Harmonisation of policy and practice documents, and how emerging topics such as artificial intelligence and sustainability fit into the accreditation framework, will be shaped there. New scheme endorsement applications now follow Global ACI rules.
4. MoUs and regulatory references
International memoranda of understanding previously held by ILAC and IAF are being renegotiated or transitioned to Global ACI — the memorandum signed with OIML on 14 April 2026 is an early example. The same process applies nationally: every regulation, technical specification or scheme rule that names “ILAC MRA” or “IAF MLA” will need updating.
Global ACI transition checklist
For laboratories and conformity assessment bodies
- Update references in quality documentation, report and certificate templates, and website content from ILAC MRA / IAF MLA to the Global ACI MRA.
- Confirm every mark-usage change with your accreditation body before implementing it.
- Brief clients and scheme owners before they ask this is a communication task, not a compliance failure.
- Continue operating normally in the meantime.
For regulators and scheme owners
- Start referencing the Global ACI MRA in legislation, specifications and scheme rules.
- Continue recognising ILAC and IAF marks throughout the transition period.
- Set a timeline for transferring existing MoUs to Global ACI.
For accreditation bodies
- Verify that membership and signatory status are registered under the new framework.
- Track normative document renumbering as new Global ACI documents are published.
- Prepare mark-transition guidance for accredited CABs ahead of the October 2026 decision.
Global ACI FAQ
Is Global ACI a new organisation or just a rebrand of ILAC and IAF?
Legally it is a new organisation a not-for-profit incorporated society registered in New Zealand on 6 December 2024. Functionally, it took over everything ILAC and IAF did.
Do ILAC and IAF still exist?
Not as operating organisations. Both ceased active operations on 1 January 2026 and are being wound up. IAF discontinued membership and operational activities, with its board acting in a caretaker capacity until wind-up completes; ILAC is being formally dissolved under its own articles following General Assembly approval.
Did ILAC and IAF members transfer to Global ACI automatically?
No. Membership was not automatic. Existing members had to apply formally under the new legal and governance framework.
Did MRA and MLA signatories lose their recognition?
No. Full Members and Recognised Regional Cooperation Bodies of the IAF MLA and/or ILAC MRA were accepted as signatories of the Global ACI arrangement, retaining the same scopes and approval dates previously endorsed by the IAF MLA Committee and the ILAC Arrangement Council.
Are accreditations issued before 1 January 2026 still recognised?
Yes. Accreditations issued under the ILAC MRA and/or IAF MLA continue to be recognised as the arrangements transition to the Global ACI MRA. There is no gap and no re-application.
Can we still use the ILAC MRA or IAF MLA mark?
Yes, during the transition period, subject to your accreditation body’s conditions and the requirements of Global ACI MRA-006. Once the new mark launches and the transition closes, only the Global ACI MRA Mark will be permitted.
Does the merger change ISO/IEC 17025 or any other standard?
No. Standards, assessment cycles, witnessed assessments and surveillance requirements are unchanged. What changed is the recognition structure above the accreditation body.
Will our certificates or test reports become invalid?
No. This is a recognition and identity change, not a change to technical requirements or to assessment and testing quality.
Where can we find Global ACI documents?
On the Global ACI website, in the publications and MRA document sections. Documents that have not yet been superseded remain available under their legacy numbering.
What is the next key date?
The October 2026 General Assembly, where the launch timetable for the new MRA Mark is expected to be decided. The substantive transition work begins after that decision.
The bottom line
For most laboratories and certification bodies, 1 January 2026 changed a name, a logo and a list of document references not a single technical requirement. But the underlying shift is real: testing, calibration, inspection, certification, verification and biobanking now sit under one arrangement, one governance framework and one peer evaluation system for the first time.
The next three years are the implementation phase. The organisations that manage it well will be the ones that update their documentation early, tell clients before clients ask, and treat the transition as what it is housekeeping with a deadline.