Technical meetings and the 19 th General Assembly of the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC 2013) opened in the central city of Da Nang on September 9.

During the event, which will come to a close on September 13, representatives from 26 member countries and institutions will attend a plenary meeting, technical meetings, and a meeting of the Technical Committee and the Mutual Recognition Arrangement council.

This year’s function will review the implementation of the mutual recognition of regional laboratories, inspection and certification bodies to minimise administrative barriers among member countries.

Founded in 1992, APLAC acts as a steering agency of accreditation bodies and harmonises accreditation practices in the Asia – Pacific region.

A licence granted to a product when it meets the quality standard in an APLAC member country will also be valid in other member nations, saving time and money for exporters.

The Bureau of Accreditation of Vietnam, established in 1990, now manages nearly 700 laboratories, inspection and certification bodies across the country. It became a member of APLAC in 2000.-VNA