Innovation, Trust and Sustainability – The Power of Accreditation

June 9, 2026

World Accreditation Day (WAD) 2026 theme of Innovation, Trust and Sustainability The Power of Accreditation celebrates the rich diversity of benefits and outcomes accreditation and accredited conformity assessment deliver. From businesses innovating for growth, consumers needing trust in the products they buy to governments wanting improved sustainability, accreditation provides solutions and answers to so many challenges and questions.

In its first year of operations, the new accreditation organisation Global ACI builds on the legacies of IAF and ILAC to help organisations and consumers innovate, gain trust and live more sustainability. In their Chair’s Message on WAD, Global ACI Chair Brahim Houla says, ‘All businesses face challenges in accessing markets, competing on a level playing field and demonstrating regulatory compliance. Consumers face challenges in knowing that the goods and services they purchase are from reputable and trustworthy sources, are “fit for purpose” and are environmentally sustainable. Accreditation and conformity assessment are proven tools that enable this confidence.

This year’s theme aims to share examples of how accreditation supports these three vital pillars, with the aim of encouraging wider adoption of accreditation across the global economy. WAD focuses on how accreditation, supported by the global Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MRA) established by Global ACI, helps business and industry to compete in this global marketplace.’

The Global ACI WAD 2026 Brochure states how accreditation delivers value across these three crucial pillars by:

‘Fostering trust in products, systems and services by providing independent assurance that conformity
assessment is reliable and credible
Enabling innovation by providing a reliable framework that allows Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) to safely adopt new technologies and continuously improve their practices
Supporting sustainability by promoting accountability, consistent processes and alignment with environmental and social expectations.’

The 2026 World Accreditation Day video further brings to life accreditation and accredited conformity assessment’s role in innovation, trust and sustainability. Case studies do this further by giving illustrations of practical applications of the use of accreditation, conformity assessment, standards and other parts of the quality infrastructure. Across the globe, in numerous sectors, for businesses, government and consumers, these case studies provide numerous clear examples of The Power of Accreditation in Inn ovation, Trust and Sustainability #WAD2026