INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION FORUM (IAF, INC.) MULTILATERAL RECO-
GNITION AGREEMENT (MLA)
1 This Agreement is based on the results of evaluations carried
out in accordance with the relevant rules and procedures of t-
he intemational Acreditation Forum (IAF).
2 The parties to this agreement are the accreditation bodies on
whose behalf the Agreement has been signed (the "participating
bodies", collectively the "MLA Group")
3 Each participating body shall agree to abide by the terms and
conditions of the MLA.
Each participating body shall:
(i) maintain conformance with ISO/IEC Gude 61, and related IAF
guidance documents;
(ii) ensure that all accredited bodies comply with ISO/IEC Guide
62 or ISO/IEC Guide 65, as approprite, and related IAF gui-
dance documents.
4 On the basis of the perceived equivalence of the systems for
the accreditation of management system bodies and/or product
certification bodies (hereinafter referred to as "systems") o-
perated by the participating bodies, each participating body
will:
(i) recognize the operation of the other systems - within the p-
rograms as defined in this Agreement - as equivalent to its
own;
(ii) recommend and promote the acceptance of the certificates of
conformity or certificates of competence within the recogn-
ized scopes from the bodies accredited by the participating
bodies as being on an equal basis with those of its own ac-
credited bodies.
5 Each participating body shall:
(i) investigate all complaints initiated by a participating body
resulting from certificates of conformity or certificates of
competence issued by the bodies it has accredited within its
accreditation programs;
(ii) notify all other participating bodies as soon as possible
of any significant changes that have occurred or will occur
in its status, in the operational practices of its ysystem
or in its accreditation programs;
(iii) contribute as appropriate to the work of the MLA group;
(iv) participate as appropriate in the meetings of the working
group(s) of the MLA Group;
(v) progvide auditors/assessors for the evaluation, re-evaluati-
on and surveillance to the accreditaton programs of the MLA
Group members and applicants;
(vi) co-operate with other accrediation bodies so that the MLA
may be extended;
(vii) use all information in a confidential and professional ma-
nner.
6 if, in accordance with the relevant rules and procedures, it
is agreed that an additional accreditation body that operates
a system may participate in the agreement, an MLA Signature S-
heet shall be signed by the new accreditation body and duly a-
uthorized by the IAF Chair. The new signatory shall be added
to the list in Annex A of this Agreement. The same procedure
shall be followed if it is agreed that a participant to the A-
greement may extend its accreditation programs.
7 if a participating body wishes to eithdraw from this Agreement
or withdraw parts of its accrediation program for any reason
whatsoever, that body shall notify the other participating bo-
dies to this Agreement in writing through the MLA management
Committee not later than three months in advance of withdrawi-
ng. upon withdrawal of a body or changing the extent of its a-
ccreditation programs, that body's MLA Signature Shee shall be
obsoleted and the list in Annex A revised accordingly.
8 Any amendment of the text of this Multilateral Recognition Ag-
reement shall be made in accordance with the MLA Group rules
of procedure.
9 This Agreement consists of ten (10) Clauses plus an Annex lis-
ting each participating body, along with the extent of its ac-
creditation programs.
10 This Agreement come into force on: 22 January 1998