IAF Restructures New Global Accreditation Cooperation as Non-Profit Society

To placate the notification by Germany’s accreditation body, DAkkS, the new IAF organization, called Global Accreditation Cooperation Inc., has been restructured as a non-profit “Incorporated Society” in New Zealand.

The IAF and ILAC merged to form what they originally called “GLOBAC,” but made a number of rookie mistakes. First, they never trademarked the name or obtained the GLOBAC website address, allowing Turkish certificate mill scammers to adopt the name in order to sell fake certificates. Next, they failed ot register as a non-profit in New Zealand. Finally, they never checked international law to see if any of this was legal.

DAkkS was forced to reject membership in the new GLOBAC group, as EU law prohibits European national accreditation bodies from participating in any for-profit organization.

Now, down to the wire, GLOBAC modified its New Zealand business filings and Constitution to reform itself as a non-profit Incorporated Society, even as the revised constitution still ensures everyone knows it is not a “charitable entity” under New Zealand law.

The problem the new GACI organization faces is that there is no practical way it will comply with its constitution, even in its revised form. This is because the IAF and ILAC have long since abandoned enforcing the accreditation standards and their famous Multilateral Recognition Agreement (MRA). Instead, both have adopted postures and policies that enable violations of those rules by their members, and the leaders of both bodies have worked to protect bodies that violate the rules, even when that results in the death of members of the public, criminal fraud, and dangerous laboratory data falsification.

For example, both the IAF and ILAC have instituted silent policies that allow them to throw out all complaints against their members, even when the complaints allege criminal fraud. This violates the very ISO accreditation standards that the bodies have claimed to enforce.

There’s no reason to believe the largely corrupt leaders of IAF and ILAC will suddenly reverse course and begin complying with the statements they make in order to obtain “non-profit” status, which then grants them some tax exemptions. As a result, if the new GACI maintains the old IAF and ILAC policies, it will be in violation of New Zealand law about 24 hours after the rules go into effect.

By claiming the opposite in its new Constitution, if GACI does not perform its stated duties, it could be held liable legally for its violations under New Zealand law. Those liabilities include sanctions against the organization itself, or de-listing of its status, up to criminal prosecution against individual officers.

Over here at Oxebnridge, we’ve already established the right contacts within the appropriate offices to report these problems as they arise, and I fully intend on doing so.

This is an opportunity for the IAF and ILAC to start over, to begin enforcing accreditation rules and stop the flood of fake accreditations that are coming out under its logo. There is no sign they plan to do so, however, as the current leadership remains hardened against whistleblowers and any reporting of fraud.

I’m still working on the angle to hold the IAF accountable under US law for decades of tax fraud. In the US, it does not matter if the IAF restructures itself in New Zealand, as leaders can be held accountable for past activities within the US. This would fall mainly on former IAF head Elva Nilsen and current head Victor Gandy. In short, restructuring in New Zealand has not let them escape the IRS.

One final point, which is both hilarous and intentionally confusing. The group has created its new website at the unbelievably complicated address of — wait for it — www.globalaccreditationcooperationincorporated.org. I wish I were making that up, but that’s how amateurish these people are. They have not even designed a logo yet.

Sigh.