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| Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation | |
|---|---|
| Name | Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation |
| Abbreviation | APLAC |
| Formation | 1995 |
| Type | Regional accreditation cooperation |
| Region served | Asia Pacific |
| Membership | Accreditation bodies |
Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation is a regional cooperation of accreditation bodies from the Asia Pacific region focused on laboratory, inspection and certification accreditation. It promotes harmonization of ISO/IEC 17025, ISO/IEC 17020, ISO/IEC 17021, and related standards across national and territorial accreditation bodies to facilitate trade, regulatory acceptance, and technical confidence among economies such as Australia, China, India, Japan, and United States. The cooperation develops peer assessment, technical guidance, and multilateral recognition arrangements that align with global frameworks like the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and the International Accreditation Forum.
The cooperation originated in the mid-1990s as Asia Pacific economies sought mechanisms similar to those in the European Cooperation for Accreditation and the Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation to address barriers to trade created by divergent technical requirements. Founding members included accreditation bodies from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and other regional economies. Key milestones involved adoption of a multilateral recognition arrangement in the early 2000s, reciprocal peer assessment mechanisms influenced by the International Organization for Standardization processes, and enlargement during the 2010s to include accreditation bodies from emerging economies such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The cooperation’s development intersected with regional trade initiatives like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and technical harmonization efforts under the World Trade Organization agreements on Technical Barriers to Trade.
Governance is typically exercised through a General Assembly of member accreditation bodies and an Executive Committee composed of elected representatives from member economies such as South Korea, Philippines, Thailand, and Hong Kong. Technical committees and working groups address standards like ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO/IEC 15189, while secretariat functions are hosted on a rotating basis or by a designated member body. Decision-making reflects principles similar to those in the International Accreditation Forum constitution, with nomination of peer assessors, conflict-of-interest rules modeled on OECD guidance, and reporting practices consistent with ISO guidance. Financial governance relies on membership fees, project funding from development banks like the Asian Development Bank, and cooperative initiatives with organizations such as the United Nations Industrial Development Organization.
Membership comprises full and associate accreditation bodies from economies across the Asia Pacific, including sovereign states and territories represented by entities like the Hong Kong Accreditation Service and the Macau Government Laboratory. Members range from well-established bodies such as the National Association of Testing Authorities (Australia) and the Japan Accreditation Board to emerging accreditation services in Bangladesh and Nepal. Regional structure often groups members by subregions—Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Oceania—and coordinates with subregional organizations like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and sector regulators in markets such as China and India. Observers may include international organizations and development partners including the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization.
The cooperation concentrates on laboratory and inspection accreditation standards including ISO/IEC 17025 (testing and calibration), ISO/IEC 17020 (inspection bodies), ISO/IEC 17021 (management system certification), and ISO 15189 (medical laboratories). It issues technical guidance documents to harmonize application of these standards among members, drawing on normative references from International Electrotechnical Commission documents and sectoral standards used in pharmaceutical regulation and food safety frameworks administered by bodies such as the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Programs also cover proficiency testing, measurement uncertainty, and competence of personnel with reference to training standards from institutions like the International Organization for Standardization and regional training partners.
Core activities include peer assessments, accreditation of laboratories and inspection bodies, publication of guidance and policy documents, and capacity-building workshops. The cooperation organizes inter-laboratory comparisons and proficiency testing in collaboration with regional metrology institutes such as the Asia Pacific Metrology Programme and national metrology institutes in Japan and Australia. It provides assessor training, dispute resolution services, and technical assistance to developing accreditation bodies in partnership with agencies like the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the United Nations Development Programme. Annual seminars and working group meetings often coincide with events hosted by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and the International Accreditation Forum.
The cooperation maintains formal links with global accreditation networks, notably the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and the International Accreditation Forum, enabling mutual recognition of accredited reports and certificates under multilateral recognition arrangements. It engages with international standard-setting bodies including ISO and the International Electrotechnical Commission to influence technical guidance relevant to the Asia Pacific region. Collaboration extends to regional trade organizations such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and to regulatory partnerships with agencies like the European Commission on technical harmonization.
Supporters credit the cooperation with reducing technical barriers to trade, improving laboratory quality in member economies, and facilitating regulatory acceptance across borders—benefits cited by export-oriented industries in China, South Korea, and Australia. Critics note uneven capacity among members, potential dominance by larger accreditation bodies from economies like Japan and United States in standard-setting, and challenges in implementing peer assessments in politically sensitive territories. Observers also raise concerns about resource constraints for smaller members and the need for greater transparency in governance comparable to practices in organizations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Category:International accreditation organizations