To mark World Accreditation Day, observed this year under the theme “Accreditation: Strengthening the Future and Shaping the World,” the Moroccan Ministry of Industry and Trade hosted a communication event in Rabat on June 27, 2024. Partnering with the GCC Golf Accreditation Center (GAC), the ministry aimed to highlight the crucial role of accreditation in an ever-changing world. This event emphasized building trust amid shifting consumer behaviors, persistent economic uncertainties, and rapid technological advancements. The goal was also to promote accreditation in Morocco as a key driver for national economic development, enhancing business competitiveness and consumer protection.

Accreditation is the formal recognition by an accrediting body of a conformity assessment body’s (CAB) competence to perform specific conformity assessment tasks, including testing, medical analysis, calibration, inspection, and certification of products, processes, services, and even Halal certification. This process ensures confidence in conformity assessment results, proving that a product, service, organization, or facility is safe, reliable, and compliant with normative, regulatory, or specific requirements.

The impact of accreditation on the national economy is undeniable. It facilitates market access for economic operators by ensuring high-quality standards. When recognized internationally, accreditation promotes global trade by reducing technical barriers and fostering mutual recognition of conformity assessments. Moreover, an economy with widely accredited conformity assessment services inspires greater consumer confidence, ensuring that purchased products and services are safe and reliable.

Accreditation thus emerges as a vital lever for national economic growth, particularly in a rapidly evolving world that demands trust amidst changing consumer behaviors, ongoing economic uncertainties, and swift technological progress.

Nationally, Morocco has accredited 180 organizations in areas such as testing, calibration, medical biology analysis, certification, and inspection. These accreditations provide a seal of trust and credibility for the services offered by these organizations. Additionally, to ease market access for exporting companies, the Ministry has introduced a new accreditation program for certifying bodies.

Morocco has also made significant strides towards international recognition of its accreditation system, including drafting legislation to establish the Moroccan Accreditation Institute. This initiative aims to meet international standards, particularly in terms of impartiality and legal responsibility.