World Accreditation Day(WAD) is observed annually on 09 June to promote the significance of accreditation, a formal, independent verification that a programme or institution meets set quality standards and is competent to perform specific conformity assessment tasks.
Theme:
i.The theme of WAD 2025 is “Accreditation: Empowering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)”, spotlighting the key role SMEs play in innovation, employment generation and economic resilience.
ii.This theme underscores how accreditation supports SMEs in overcoming limited resources, market-entry barriers and competitive pressures.
Background:
i.WAD is a global initiative launched in 2007 by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), headquartered in Delaware, United States of America(USA), and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), headquartered in Silverwater, New South Wales, Australia to raise awareness about the significance and impact of accreditation across sectors.
ii.The first-ever World Accreditation Day was observed on 09 June 2008.
Significance:
i.World Accreditation Day 2025 emphasises how accreditation strengthens SMEs, the backbone of many economies. Through standardisation, accreditation fosters trust, market growth, resource efficiency and global trade access.
ii.This knowledge is valuable for competitive examinations, keen relevance to questions on quality infrastructure, global trade norms, economic resilience, and institutional frameworks.
WAD 2025 poster:
i.The official WAD 2025 poster was designed by Joshua Egahi-Ojo Alhassan, winner of the IAF–ILAC poster contest held in February 2025.
ii.He was awarded a prize of USD 1,500. His design symbolises growth: an accreditation symbol upholds a microcosm of SMEs, beneath a tree whose fruits are industry icons—depicting how accredited foundations lead to positive societal outcomes.
ISO/IEC 42001: A Milestone for AI Governance:
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) introduced ISO/IEC 42001 which guides organizations in responsible Artificial Intelligence(AI) development, ensuring ethical and compliant AI applications.
- ISO/IEC 42001 is the world’s first AI management system standard, providing valuable guidance for this rapidly changing field of technology.
2025 Events:
i.IAF and ILAC hosted global online events on 09 June 2025, discussing accreditation’s role in digitalization and sustainability.
ii.India’s Celebrations: New Delhi (Delhi) based Quality Council of India (QCI) organized events in 20+ cities, showcasing India’s robust accreditation framework via Gurugram, Haryana based National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories(NABL) and New Delhi based National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies(NABCB), both signatories to IAF and ILAC agreements.
About International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC):
i.The ILAC was initially established as a conference held from 24 to 28 October 1977 in Copenhagen, Denmark, with the objective of fostering international cooperation to facilitate global trade through accreditation.In 1996, ILAC was formalised as a cooperation body.
ii.It is an international organisation of accreditation bodies that operate in accordance with ISO/IEC 17011 standards, primarily engaged in the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies such as laboratories, inspection bodies, and proficiency testing providers.
Chair – Etty Feller
Headquarters – New South Wales, Australia.
