ILAC News 38

noted that a unified mark, such as the ILACMRA Mark, would be an easier way forrecognition and acceptance by regulators aswell as consumers. In addition, the aftermarketsurveillance would become more andmore important as the acceptance level ofsuch a unified mark increases.Celebration of the 20thAnniversary of LaboratoryAccreditation–MovingForward with Confidence in anIndependent, Impartial andTransparent MannerTAF celebrated its 20th anniversary oflaboratory accreditation on 9 June 2010, theWorld Accreditation Day. Standing on thestrong foundation established by CNLA, andwith insistence on its core values:“Independent, Impartial, Transparent andObjective” TAF continues to provide afull-range of accreditation services to assistits customers in coping with the changingworld. At the celebration event, Dr Jay-SanChen, TAF President, presented hand-craftedcustomised TAF lamps, as a gift, to 18honourable guests who had played a key rolein the milestones of the 20-year history. TAFalso made a 20 minute video tape recordingspecial moments from the past 20 years andinvited a few good friends of TAF, includingDr Helen Liddy, Mr Terence Chan and MrBarry Ashcroft from APLAC, to say a fewwords on the tape. Some 830 participantsattended the celebration ceremony and theGala dinner. TAF is grateful for all the helpthat CNLA and TAF has received fromnumerous people and organisations. TAF willcertainly continue serving its customers in aprofessional manner, cooperating withregulators by providing trustworthyaccreditation results and playing an activecontribution in the internationalaccreditation society.World Accreditation Day in GuatemalaBy Alexander Pineda MSc, Head of OGAOGA organized aSeminar called“Global Acceptance”to celebrate the WorldAccreditation Day inGuatemala. The activitywas held in the Grand Tikal Futura Hotelwith the participation of representatives fromlaboratories, the government, private sectorand universities. During the seminar, thePresident of the National Accreditation Boardand the Vice Minister of Economy, Mr AbelCruz presented to more than 150 participantshis appreciation for their participation andhighlighted the importance of accreditationfor global trade. Mr Cruz also remarked onthe significance of OGA´s recognition at theinternational level through the ILAC MRA.There were three conferences focused on theacceptance of laboratory results based oncustomer and regulatory requirements.The seminar was opened by the NationalQuality Director, Mr Juan Alberto Hernándezwho welcomed all the participants andremarked on the role of accreditationOGA Staff (From left to right): Mr Erik Alvarado, Mrs Lucrecia Arriola, Mr Alberto Meléndez,Mrs Duberly Barillas and Mr Alexander Pineda.within the National Quality System andthe relationship with Standardization andMetrology.The invited speakers were from companiesbased in the country that bring accreditedcontinued next pageILAC News | Accreditation37