Dubai Municipality Accreditation Department has become the first in the GCC to be a signatory with International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).
A delegation of the Accreditation Department, which attended the joint annual meetings of the ILAC and the International Accreditation Forum at the Canadian city of Vancouver during 10 - 20 October, signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) with ILAC.
The signing of the MRA with ILAC is considered to be a great achievement of the Emirate of Dubai as it gives international recognition to the accreditation systems in the Emirate. Becoming a signatory with ILAC brings global recognition to all the certification issued by Dubai Municipality for testing and calibration laboratories in accordance with the requirements of international standard ISO 17025.
The MRA also included international recognition of medical laboratory accreditation system in accordance with the requirements of international standard ISO 15189. With this Dubai becomes the first Arab city to be recognized for granting accreditation to the medical laboratories.
Amina Ahmed, Director of Accreditation Department of Dubai Municipality thanked the Government of Dubai for providing continuous support for the accreditation system in the emirate to reach world-class status.
She added that the signing of this agreement comes as a result of the efforts of the Department that continued for several years, during which assessment visits were made by the ILAC panel, which recommended the granting of international recognition to the Department, that too without a single case of non-conformity, and it is for the first time in the world such an assessment visit to this outstanding level has taken place.
Eng. Alia Al Marzouqi, Head of Inspection Bodies Accreditation Section in the Accreditation Department said that by obtaining this recognition Dubai Municipality has achieved the highest international standards of efficiency.
"We have also been able to overcome the targets of our strategic plan clearly, especially regarding the accuracy of test results and certificates of conformity, which is very important to protect public health and the environment and facilitate the movement of international trade between countries," she said.
Al Marzouqi added that the Department has so far accredited 41 laboratories in the field of testing and calibration, nine medical laboratories, as well as 22 inspection bodies and 15 certification bodies.
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For further information:
Ismail Meladi
Senior Media Officer, Media Section
Corporate Marketing & Relations Department
Dubai Municipality
+971 4 2064657
+971 4 2232188
+971 50 6341075
ipparambil@dm.gov.ae
© Press Release 2009
