Strengthening the Compliance of the OIC Member States
to International Standards
44
The second body of particular importance is the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation
(ILAC). Unlike the IAF, the ILAC deals with the narrower issue of laboratories and testing. Specifically, its
mandate is to develop and harmonize laboratory and inspection accreditation practices, as well as to
promote these practices with governments. In addition, the organization has developed the ILAC
Arrangement, which provides for global recognition of laboratories and inspection facilities. Work in
these areas is important in the context of broader efforts to promote mutual recognition and testing
results and conformity assessments, an important measure that can ensure the benefits of
harmonization are felt most fully.
Table 3 shows OIC member states’ participation in international accreditation bodies. The level of
membership is higher in ILAC (21) than IAF (11). This point is of some concern in light of the fact that
the IAF has a broader remit than the ILAC, and deals generally with conformity assessment procedures
as opposed to the narrower question of laboratories and testing. Accreditation is an important part of
the standards infrastructure, and the relatively light participation of OIC member states in these
organizations is again to be contrasted with the more generalized membership of organizations like ISO
and the Codex. In fact, development of a standards and quality infrastructure that is in line with
international best practice, and thus poised to enable traders to best take advantage of the opportunities
offered by harmonized standards, depends in part on development of an appropriate accreditation
framework. This is an area where increased attention will be needed in the coming years.
Table 3: OIC member states' participation in selected international accreditation organizations
Country IAF ILAC Country IAF ILAC
Afghanistan Libya
Albania Member Member Malaysia Member Member
Algeria Member Maldives
Azerbaijan Member Mali
Bahrain Mauritania
Bangladesh Member Morocco Member Member
Benin Mozambique
Brunei
Darussalam
Niger
Burkina Faso Nigeria Member
Cameroon Oman
Chad Pakistan Member Member
Comoros Palestine
Cote d’Ivoire Qatar