"Accreditation" is conformity assessment of certification bodies by an approved national accreditation body to ensure that the designated certification bodies are able to meet the applicable international standards and audit the TQF Program.
"Accreditation" is performed by Accreditation Bodies (ABs) which are required to meet the requirements of the international standard ISO/IEC 17011 and be members of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), and a signatory to the IAF Multilateral Recognition Agreement (MLA) with the scope of product certification (MLA level 3; scope: product certification; ISO17065).