Launched in January 2026, Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (Global ACI) is a network of accreditation bodies and other related organizations spanning the globe. The organization cites three primary roles Global ACI plays:

• Maintain and expand the Global ACI Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MRA) between accreditation body member signatories
• Develop and harmonize accreditation practices worldwide
• Promote accreditation as an effective mechanism for providing confidence in goods and services

Global ACI is not an accreditor itself, meaning it cannot assess or accredit individual institutions or programs.

The Global ACI MRA is meant to offer a cross-border accreditation standard. MRA signatories commit to recognizing other signatories’ accreditation programs and competence as equivalent, except when prohibited by regulation or law. This mutual recognition helps reduce barriers to the acceptance of accredited results and strengthens trust in accredited activities globally.

Global ACI is the international authority on the following types of organizations:

• Laboratories
• Certification bodies
• Inspection bodies
• Proficiency testing providers
• Validation/verification bodies
• Reference material producers
• Biobanks

At launch, the Global ACI had 126 full members, 14 associate members, 50 stakeholder members, and six regional members. Full members include most countries in the six most populous continents.

Global ACI has assumed the former roles of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). Global ACI is a unification of these two previously existing organizations, and all existing accreditations issued under ILAC and/or IAF continue to be recognized as arrangements under the Global ACI MRA.

Resources

https://global-aci.org/en/home/

https://ilac.org/latest_ilac_news/a-short-history-of-the-global-accreditation-cooperation-incorporated/