ANSI 17024 Program Recognized under PAC Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA)

NEW YORK, June 20, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American National Standards Institute's (ANSI's) personnel certification accreditation program under ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 has been recognized by peer accreditation bodies in the Pacific Rim, moving one step closer to the goal of one standard – one test – one mark of acceptance in the global marketplace. ANSI became a signatory to the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC) Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) on certification of persons during the PAC Plenary Meeting in Taipei, Taiwan, on June 16, 2016. Currently, ANSI is one of three accreditation body signatories to this newly launched MLA.

The PAC is an association of accreditation bodies and other interested parties that are established and operate in the member economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). PAC's objectives are to facilitate trade and commerce among APEC economies, within the system of global recognition of programs for conformity assessment.

In order to become an MLA signatory, a PAC accreditation body member must undergo a peer assessment by the other signatories that ensures fulfillment of the criteria in ISO/IEC 17011, Conformity assessment - General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies.

"The PAC MLA is a very significant milestone for the credibility of ANSI accreditation, and it is a signal accomplishment to be in the vanguard among the first signatories to the inaugural PAC MLA for persons," said Lane Hallenbeck, ANSI vice president of accreditation services. "This recognition represents the dedicated efforts of our staff to evidence the Institute's competence by successfully completing a rigorous assessment from our peers."

About ANSI
ANSI is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. ANSI has accredited 170 certification program offered by 56 organizations.

ANSI is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

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SOURCE American National Standards Institute