JASANZ was actively engaged throughout the 2025 IAF / ILAC Joint Annual Meetings, held from 15 to 24 October, during a period of significant change for international accreditation.

Transition to a single global body

A central focus of the meetings was the transition of IAF and ILAC into the Global Accreditation Cooperation, which will formally commence on 1 January 2026. JASANZ took part in the second General Assembly of the new entity and was present for the first roll-call of signatory members.

Discussions focused on governance, legal structures, and phase-in timelines. The Mid-Term Meeting in April 2026, to be held in person, is expected to include the announcement of the new organisation’s name, acronym, and mark. The existing IAF Symbol will remain protected for a further three years before being phased out following the release of the new Global mark.

JASANZ engagement

As a member of both IAF and ILAC, JASANZ contributed to discussions supporting accreditation bodies as they move toward a single, unified organisation. The unified entity will operate as a not-for-profit Incorporated Society under the New Zealand Incorporated Societies Act 2022.

The meetings also provided opportunities for CEO-level engagement and strategic discussions. JASANZ CEO Sarah Valentine met with counterpart CEOs and accreditation body leaders.

Key issues discussed

The October meetings included detailed discussions on the following matters:

• Normative documents forming accreditation scheme rules
• The IAF CertSearch Database and its intended expansion
• The application of artificial intelligence in conformity assessment
• Harmonised rules and mandatory documents and policies of the new single entity
• Technical committee working groups and taskforces
• Membership obligations, governance arrangements, and rights for accreditation bodies and other members under the new entity

Technical contributions

JASANZ personnel are Co-Convenors of the IAF Medical Device Management System Scheme Working Group (ISO 13485), which seeks to integrate the views of industry, patients, and medical device regulators, including the International Medical Device Regulators Forum.

JASANZ personnel also facilitated a session on the proposed EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), including opportunities for accredited conformity assessment from non-EA members.

Ethics and assurance standards

The meetings confirmed that discussions between IAF and the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) regarding access to and use of IESBA standards in accreditation have been discontinued.

JASANZ will now follow up with relevant authorities that rely solely on IESBA frameworks for ethics and assurance conformity assessment, and will actively seek:

• Application of the principle of technical neutrality as reflected in Australian and New Zealand government policy; and

• Recognition of ISO/IEC standards and conformity assessment as legitimate and credible standards under World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade mitigation measures

There is an increasing need for ISO/IEC conformity assessment in ethical claims, carbon accounting, and governance.