2016 marks the 25th year of the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand.

Appointed by the Australian and New Zealand Governments, a historical treaty was signed on the 30th October 1991 and JAS-ANZ became the first trans-Tasman institution of its kind.

From a beginning in quality management systems the accreditation system has grown to support a wide range of activities across many sectors. It supports government programs and industry sectors achieve their goals through the use of effective certification and inspection services. 

Today JAS-ANZ’s services include management systems, product certification, personnel certification and inspection.  The accreditation system accredits 139 conformity assessment bodies (CABs) and has a portfolio of 139 schemes. The net result of this is that over 140,000 accredited certificates are used in 118 countries. 

While numbers are not everything in accreditation the growth in use and acceptance points to the continuing demand for accredited certification as a way in which firms and organisations can signal their credentials to their clients, meet the demands of domestic, regional and global supply chains and satisfy regulatory objectives. 

Those points sum up how we contribute to helping markets work better.

Reaching a 25 year milestone is the result of a great deal of effort. In JAS-ANZ’s case that goes right across the accreditation system.  It includes the many individuals and organisations that have contributed valuable time and effort to help shape the system as well as past and present employees.

To all those who have contributed Happy 25th! and many thanks.