NABL maintains its linkages with the international bodies like International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation (ILAC) and Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation (APLAC). NABL is a full member of both ILAC and APLAC. NABL is a signatory to ILAC as well as APLAC Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA), which is based on mutual evaluation and acceptance of other MRA Partner laboratory accreditation systems. Such international arrangements facilitate acceptance of test / calibration results between countries to which MRA partners represent.

In order to achieve the objective of the acceptance of test / calibration data across the national borders, NABL operates and is committed to update its laboratory accreditation system as per international norms. Current NABL criteria for Laboratory Accreditation is ISO/IEC 17025 standard for testing and calibration laboratories and ISO 15189:2003 for medical laboratories.

NABL is a signatory to ILAC as well as APLAC Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA), which is based on mutual evaluation and acceptance of other MRA Partner laboratory accreditation systems. Such international arrangements facilitate acceptance of test / calibration results between countries to which MRA partners represent.

This developing system of international mutual recognition agreements between accreditation bodies has enabled accredited laboratories to achieve a form of international recognition, and allowed test data accompanying exported goods to be readily accepted on overseas markets. This effectively reduces costs for both the exporters and the importers, as it reduces or eliminates the need for products to be retested in another country.

The information on accreditation bodies that are currently signatories to ILAC & APLAC MRA is located at following links:

http://www.ilac.org/arrangement.htm
http://www.aplac.org/members/signatories_mra.htm