Key to international trade, Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) promote cross border stakeholder confidence and the acceptance of accredited conformity assessment bodies. The objective of MRAs is to develop a global network of conformity assessment bodies (such as certification bodies, testing and calibration laboratories, and inspection bodies) that can be relied on to provide competent services such as certification activities, testing, calibration and inspection.
KAN’s signatory status in the MRAs is a global passport for enterprises in Indonesia , as there is no need for duplicative re-testing, re-inspection or re-calibration of goods upon entry to importing countries. Moreover, government agencies these days rely more on results from accredited facilities and those of the MRA partners, as they are beginning to realise the credibility of accreditation programmes that are based on internationally recognised standards. These government agencies need a fair and meaningful basis for identifying qualified providers and enterprises can stand out, through accreditation.
A MRA is based on the results of intensive peer evaluation of its signatories. The accreditation body to the MRA must agree to abide by the requirements in ISO/IEC 17011 – Conformity assessment – General Requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies and ensure that the conformity assessment bodies that they accredit conform to standards such as ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 15189 for laboratories, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection bodies, and ISO/IEC Guide 65 and ISO/IEC 17021 for accreditation of certification bodies.
How to recognize accredited reports & certificate?
Once a laboratory or inspection body becomes accredited, it is allowed the exclusive use of the logo of that accreditation body that issued its accreditation. The accredited body can only refer to its accreditation for those tests, calibration or inspection for which accreditation was accorded. For easier recognition across borders, the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) has come with a world recognised mark called the ILAC mark. This ILAC is to be used alongside with the logo of the accreditation body.
