Page 57 - 41st Summit Brochure

improving the general overall quality of output in SADCAS model, a concept developed by a group
an economy. The theme can also act as a trigger for of experts from the SADC region.
evolution, and to ensure that accreditation
continues to be relevant in the face of ever more SADCAS services the accreditation needs of 14
rapid technological innovations, the impact of the SADC Member States namely: Angola; Botswana;
4th Industrial Revolution and the threats posed by Comoros; Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC);
climate change, pollution, and the diminution of Eswatini; Lesotho; Madagascar; Malawi;
resources. Mozambique; Namibia; Seychelles; Tanzania;
Zambia; and Zimbabwe. SADCAS provides
Resources such as www.business-benefits.org and accreditation services to organizations that perform
http://www.publicsectorassurance.org/ will support calibration, testing including medical testing,
events, press and television coverage, and inspection, certification (personnel, product and
workshops and seminars taking place in management systems) and those that provide legal
conjunction with the celebration of World metrology services against international standards.
Accreditation Day in over 100 economies to raise SADCAS will broaden its scope of accreditation as
awareness of the value that accreditation plays in needs arise. SADCAS also offers training services on
supporting the implementation of the SDGs. World accreditation related activities. Six (6) out of eight (8)
Accreditation Day 2021 enables the IAF accreditation schemes offered by SADCAS are
(www.iaf.nu), the ILAC (www.ilac.org) and their internationally recognized. Hence the accreditation
members to highlight the role of accreditation in certificates issued by SADCAS for
supporting the implementation of SDGs. testing/calibration/medical laboratories, inspection
bodies and management systems certification bodies’
The Southern African Development Community accreditation schemes and the sub-scopes quality
Accreditation Service (SADCAS) is a multi- /environmental/occupational health and safety
economy accreditation body established in terms managements systems are recognized worldwide thus
of Article 15 B of the Technical Barriers to Trade removing the need for repetitive conformity 55
(TBT) Annex to the SADC Protocol on Trade assessment checks. Effectively this means that
with the primary purpose of ensuring that through internationally recognized accreditation
conformity assessment service providers SADC Member States serviced by SADCAS have
operating in those SADC Member States which better access to foreign markets – A truly global
do not have national accreditation bodies are reach!
subject to an oversight by an authoritative body.
Typically, in the developed world, each country SADCAS is now in its 13th year of operation and
has its own accreditation body but within the accreditations continue to grow in terms of field and
SADC region considering the cost of establishing scope of accreditation, sectorial coverage and also in
and sustaining such a body and further taking terms of geographical diversity having issued 194
into account the limited financial and human accreditation certificates to 160 accredited facilities
resources, the region decided to establish one in 13 SADC Member States and 2 non-SADC
accreditation body which services the Countries Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire by 30 June 2021.
accreditation needs of a number of countries. At the same time, SADCAS had 70 accreditation
Over the years, SADCAS the first multi economy applications from 10 SADC Member States at the
accreditation body in the world has proved to be various stages of processing. SADCAS had
a viable, cost effective and sustainable model cumulatively conducted 214 training courses in all
which optimizes limited financial and human SADC Member States as part of its efforts to develop
resources. A number of other regions in the capacity of conformity assessment bodies for
world such as the Gulf region, Economic accreditation. SADCAS services are focused on the
Community of West African States (ECOWAS), priority sectors for development in selected value
have benchmarked on the “home grown” chains as identified in the SADC Industrial Policy.

For more informa on please visit the SADCAS website www.sadcas.org
OR
Contact
The Na onal Accredita on Focal Point in your country

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