Global ACI, or Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated, is the international body for accreditation. It replaced both the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) on 1 January 2026.
What changed and what did not
For almost everyone holding a certificate or an accreditation, nothing needs doing. Certificates remain valid. Accreditation bodies such as ANAB, A2LA and IAS continue as before, now under the Global ACI arrangement.
Legacy IAF mandatory documents moved across under their existing numbering and are being progressively replaced by Global ACI equivalents. Mutual recognition arrangement marks are transitioning, with completion anticipated by 1 January 2029.
Where it does matter
Transition periods for revised standards are set by the accreditation community — which is now Global ACI, not IAF. With ISO 9001:2026 due, that distinction becomes practically relevant: any source telling you the International Accreditation Forum will confirm the transition arrangements has not been updated since 2025.
It also matters for accuracy in your own system. If a quality manual, supplier requirement or certification procedure names IAF as a current body, that is a reference worth tidying at your next document review. Not a finding — just out of date.
Why it covers laboratories too
Because ILAC was absorbed as well, the change reaches ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory accreditation, not only management system certification. Recognition of accredited results now runs through one arrangement rather than two.