2015 APLAC – PAC Annual Joint Meeting

The second Joint General Assembly (GA) for the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) and Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC) was hosted by Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB) at Kingsbury Hotel Colombo in Sri Lanka from 12 to 21 June 2015. These joint meetings aimed to foster closer collaboration between the two organisations.

The key highlight of the meetings is the outcomes for the APLAC and PAC peer evaluations for entry of new multilateral mutual recognition arrangement (MRA) members as well as for continuation of recognition for some existing MRA members. In APLAC, the members that expanded their recognition scope are Thailand (BLQS, DMSc and BLA-DSS) for reference material producers (RMP), New Zealand (IANZ) for RMP and proficiency testing providers, and Standards Malaysia for inspection. In PAC, the members that expanded their recognition scope are India (NABCB) for Information Security Management System (ISMS), Hong Kong (HKAS) for Greenhouse Gas verification (GHG) and United States (IAS) for quality and environmental management system.

Currently APLAC has 37 signatories from 23 economies. Currently APLAC has 37 signatories from 23 economies. At the meeting, the Gulf (Gulf Accreditation Council) and Russia (Rus Accreditation) has become a full member of APLAC. PAC has 18 signatories for Quality Management Systems (QMS), 16 signatories for Environmental Management Systems (EMS), 18 signatories for Product Certification Programs, 10 signatories for Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS), 5 signatories for GHG and 3 signatories for Information Security Management System Certification Bodies (ISMS).

SAC is already part of the APLAC and PAC MRA network for accreditation of testing, calibration and medical laboratories, inspection bodies, proficiency testing providers, quality management system certification, food safety management system certification and product certification. Our active involvement provides a means of achieving mutual acceptance of our accreditation in the Asia Pacific region as well as globally. It also ensures that our accreditation system continued to be of international standard and which can support our enterprises, goods and services from Singapore in entering overseas markets.