G/TBT/W/589  
 
17 December  2018 
(18-7935) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
JUSTIFICATION IN SUP PORT OF IAF AND ILAC  APPLICATION FOR  
OBSERVER STATUS AT W TO TBT COMMITTEE  
STATEMENT BY KENYA  TO THE COMMITTEE ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS T O TRADE  
14 AND 15 NOVEMBER  2018 
The following statement was made by the delegation of Kenya  at the 14-15 November 2018 TBT 
Commit tee meeting, under Agenda Item 4  (Observers) . 
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Kenya has noted that the application of IAF and ILAC as observers at the WTO TBT Committee has 
been pending for some time. Kenya is supportive of the application fo r the two organizations due to 
the important role that they play in facilitation of trade and elimination of technical barriers to trade.   
1  INTERNATIONAL LABORA TORY ACCREDITATION C O-OPERATION (ILAC)  
1.  As you are aware, ILAC is the international organization f or accreditation bodies operating in 
accordance with ISO/IEC 17011 and involved in the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies 
including calibration laboratories (using ISO/IEC 17025), test ing laboratories (using 
ISO/IEC  17025), medical testing labor atories (using ISO 15189) and inspection bodies (using 
ISO/IEC 17020).  
2.  The primary purpose of ILAC is to establish an international arrangement between member 
accreditation bodies based on peer evaluation and mutual acceptance.  
2  INTERNATIONAL ACCRED ITATION  FORUM (IAF)  
3.  The IAF is the world association of Conformity Assessment Accreditation Bodies and other bodies 
interested in conformity assessment in the fields of management systems, products, services, 
personnel and other similar programmes of conformity assessment. Its primary function is to 
develop a single worldwide program of conformity assessment which reduces risk for business and 
its customers by assuring them that accredited c ertificates may be relied upon. Accreditation assures 
users of the competence and impartiality of the body accredited.  
3  KENYA ACCREDITATION SERVICE (KENAS)  
4.  Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS) is the Kenyan National Accreditation Body mandated to 
offer accre ditation services. KENAS gives formal attestation that Conformity Assessment Bodies 
(CABs) are competent to carry out specific conformity assessment activities. A CAB maybe a testing 
laboratory, calibration laboratory, certification body or an inspection b ody that provides inspection, 
testing, and certification services in all fields in the public and private sectors.  
5.  KENAS is a Full Member of ILAC and a signatory to the ILAC MRA for testing (ISO/IEC 17025), 
medical testing (ISO 15189), calibration (ISO/IEC  17025) and inspection (ISO/IEC 17020).  KENAS 
originally joined ILAC as an Affiliate Member  in 2005, then became an Associate member in 2009 
than a signatory to the ILAC MRA in 2017.  G/TBT/W/589  
 
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  6.  KENAS has also been admitted as an IAF (International Accreditation Forum ) MLA (Multi -Lateral 
Arrangement) signatory for Management System Certification – ISO/IEC 17021 -1 with a  Sub-scope 
level 4: ISO/TS 22003 and a Sub -scope level 5: ISO 22001, ISO 9001 & ISO14001.  
7.  ILAC and IAF are  umbrella organizations that oversee accredita tion activities at a global level.  
4  JUSTIFICATION  
8.  The main aim of accreditation is to assure the users of conformity assessment services of the 
competence of the conformity assessment provider and assure of equivalence of reports and 
certificates from accre dited conformity assessment providers across economies that have signed the 
ILAC MRA and the IAF MLA. This is aimed at facilitation of trade and elimination of multiple testing, 
inspection and certification ultimately reducing the time and costs incurred t o do business.  
9.  It is therefore in order for ILAC and IAF to be considered as observers at the WTO TBT Committee 
due to the important role of their activities in facilitating trade and eliminating barriers to tra de, 
which is one of the mandate s of this comm ittee.  
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